MEXICAN CATTLE IMPORTS TO BE BRANDED - USDA All steers imported into the United States from Mexico must now be branded with the letter M on the right jaw, the U.S. Agriculture Department said. In its World Production and Trade Report, the department said the branding is necessary to improve surveillance for bovine tuberculosis because it provides a permanent way to identify Mexican steers. The requirement is not expected to affect the number of Mexican steers imported into the United States and the brand will be applied before the animals arrive at U.S. ports of entry. Last November, the Mexican Government authorized an export quota of nearly 1.1 mln head of live cattle for the 1986/87 season (Aug-July), most of which goes to the United States.