US could restrict Mexican livestock imports over screwworm worry, official says
WASHINGTON April 26 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration warned on Saturday that it will restrict livestock imports from Mexico if that country's government does not intensify its fight against a damaging pest called New World screwworm.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in a letter Saturday to her Mexican counterpart said that she "will restrict the importation of animal commodities" if those issues are not resolved by Wednesday.
Rollins' letter, which she posted on the social media site X, said Mexico had limited one of the companies hired to conduct aerial spraying to eliminate the pest to flying only six days a week and had imposed "burdensome customs duties" on parts needed to keep its planes in the air.
Her threat comes against the backdrop of a global trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has ratcheted up tariffs on Mexico and other trading partners.
Screwworm can infest livestock, wildlife and in rare cases, people. Maggots from screwworm flies burrow into the skin of living animals, causing serious and often fatal damage.
Before screwworm's discovery, Mexico had been the U.S.'s largest supplier of cattle. Last month, the U.S. imported 24,000 head of cattle from Mexico, down from about 114,000 a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The U.S. blocked Mexican livestock shipments in late November after the pest was discovered. It lifted that restriction in February based on new protocols for assessing the health of animals before they enter the country.
Rollins' letter was first reported by Fox News.
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Some military experts echoed that sentiment, seeing merit in an event that gives Americans a chance to thank their soldiers and see them up close. 'Only 9% of young Americans have an inclination toward military service,' said Kori Schake, who has worked at both the Defense Department and the White House National Security Council. 'And so, exposing more Americans to our Army, where kids can talk to soldiers about their experience, is good for the country.' Others said the money is being wasted. A better idea would be to restore programs serving veterans or rehiring some of those who lost their jobs in the Trump administration's effort to shrink the government workforce, some lawmakers and veterans groups said. Department of Government Efficiency cuts have fallen heavily on veterans, who make up a disproportionate share of the federal workforce. Meanwhile, the Veterans Affairs Department cut a program that provides mortgage assistance to veterans so they don't face foreclosure on their homes. The mortgage program 'helped tens of thousands of veterans stay in their homes. And they want to spend $50 million on a parade?' said Chris Purdy, who heads the Chamberlain Network, a pro-veterans group. 'It really shows this is about an individual's pride and not the nation's pride.' Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, criticized the parade's price tag in an interview. "The military is being required to spend resources and time on this, instead of training and preparing to meet the national security needs of the country," he said, adding, 'It's a horrible idea." Trump has long championed a military parade. In 2017, he attended the Bastille Day ceremony in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and got a firsthand look as tanks rumbled past the reviewing stand. The trip left an impression. After he returned to the White House, Trump spoke often about holding a similar parade at home, a former White House official said. Aides delayed and diverted him, mentioning the potential cost and telling him the United States didn't make a point of flaunting its hardware, the person said. 'Certainly, the French do it a lot and the North Koreans do it a lot and the Russians, but we don't really tend to do those things,' the former official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'He brought it up quite a bit,' the person continued, adding that in Trump's view, the Bastille Day celebration was 'in honor of Macron.' 'And he wanted that.' In his Oval Office remarks, Trump didn't mention the parade in the context of his birthday. He noted instead that the day is Flag Day. "We're going to have a fantastic June 14th parade, Flag Day," he said. "It's going to be an amazing day. We have tanks, we have planes, we have all sorts of things. And I think it's going to be great. We're going to celebrate our country for a change." Whether the day comes off as a tribute to the Army or to Trump hinges on how Trump behaves in the moment, analysts said. 'The degree to which this is a violation of norms depends in part on what the president says and does on the margins of this event,' said Peter Feaver, a Duke University political science professor who has written about the military's relationship with political leaders. In the run-up to the parade, Trump is capitalizing on the Army's milestone birthday in partisan terms. Speaking Tuesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he took aim at various Democratic foes, including the last commander in chief, Joe Biden. He invoked Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democrat, eliciting boos from the audience. Mentioning Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year, Trump said: "I think he's running for president, but he's a radical lunatic." Linking the military to the sitting president's birthday and sending it into the streets to confront fellow Americans risk tarnishing its credibility while pushing the country away from its democratic roots, Trump's critics warn. 'Displays of hardware, whether its tanks or Stryker vehicles, is more characteristic of totalitarian militaristic states like North Korea or Russia,' said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who questioned the event's cost at a recent hearing with Army leaders. 'And they are used in part to glorify the dictator in those countries. This parade falls on President Trump's birthday and is as much a celebration of his birthday and him — at least it's designed to be — as it is our Army.'
