MEXICO CITY, May 13 (NNN-XINHUA) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday criticized the U.S. decision to suspend the import of live Mexican cattle for 15 days, calling the measure unjustified and demanding mutual respect in bilateral relations.
“We do not agree with this measure,” Sheinbaum said during her daily press briefing. “There is no reason to close the border to Mexican cattle.”
The U.S. side cited the need to reassess joint efforts to control the screwworm fly, a livestock parasite, but Sheinbaum stressed that Mexico has worked closely with U.S. authorities from the outset. Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegue has been in regular contact with his U.S. counterpart, Brooke Rollins, she added.
Sheinbaum expressed hope that the ban will be lifted soon and said she does not expect major losses, given the temporary nature of the measure.
The Mexican cattle industry is losing about 11.4 million U.S. dollars each day due to the U.S. government’s suspension of live cattle imports from the country, authorities said Monday.
The temporary ban, which Washington said was because of a review of joint efforts to control the screwworm fly, is disrupting supply chains and threatening food availability in both countries, the National Agricultural Council said in a statement.
“The suspension impacts Mexican agriculture and puts food security at risk on both sides of the border,” the council said.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Sunday she was suspending imports of livestock through the Mexican border on a “month-by-month basis” to protect U.S. cattle from the threat of a dangerous, flesh-eating parasite infestation. — NNN-XINHUA
