Photograph provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), showing two people handing over their pets’ documents upon arrival in Mexico on Tuesday, in Mexico City. EFE/Sader
Mexico City, Aug 11 (EFE) – The Mexican government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), announced Tuesday that to bring dogs and birds into the country from the United States, it is necessary to present an inspection certificate guaranteeing that the animals are free of the cattle screwworm (CSW).
The ministry stated in a press release that the measure, which has been in effect since August 3, stems from a bilateral agreement between technical staff from the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica), under Sader, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This agreement “is aimed at strengthening CSW control measures in both countries,” the ministry noted.
In the statement, the Mexican health authority emphasized the importance of the GBG Inspection Document for Transfer (export) being signed by a veterinarian accredited by the health authority of the country of origin.
Furthermore, the certificate will be valid for five calendar days and must indicate that the animal was inspected and shows no signs of screwworm infestation.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) clarified that the certificate is independent of the Frequent Traveler Pet Program and is in addition to the other current animal health requirements for the entry of companion animals into Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on July 24 that her country will resume livestock exports to the U.S. in August, a measure she was informed of in a letter from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
Three days later, the president asserted that the “good coordination and collaboration” with the U.S. allowed the neighboring country to approve the resumption of Mexican cattle exports, after U.S. authorities imposed a ban to prevent the entry of the New World screwworm, also known as GBG.
Sheinbaum stated that her country is already “quite far along” in reopening the border to exports, a process that will begin in the state of Sonora and then continue in Chihuahua, both located on the northern border with the U.S.
“This would happen around the second or third week of August,” she noted that day.
However, she clarified that for this to occur, “a series of actions that we have to develop jointly” with Washington still need to take place.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will lift the ban on Mexican cattle imports it imposed more than a year ago to prevent the introduction of the New World screwworm.
The screwworm has spread north through Central America and was detected in June on farms in Texas and New Mexico.
