Donald Trump threatened to impose an additional 5% tariff on Mexico if it does not immediately provide extra water to assist U.S. farmers, accusing the country of violating a treaty that outlines water sharing between the neighbors.
Under the treaty, Mexico is required to send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the United States from the Rio Grande through a network of interconnected dams and reservoirs every five years.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said Mexico “owes” the United States 800,000 acre-feet of water due to treaty violations over the past five years.
He demanded that Mexico release 200,000 acre-feet of water before December 31, and more “shortly thereafter.”
According to the president, the lack of water was damaging crops and livestock in Texas.
“So far, Mexico has not responded, and it is very unfair to our American farmers, who deserve this much-needed water,” Trump stated. “That is why I have authorized the documentation to impose a 5% tariff on Mexico if this water is not released IMMEDIATELY.”
The 1944 Water Treaty between Mexico and the United States establishes how the waters of border rivers such as the Colorado, the Rio Grande, and the Tijuana are distributed and managed.
This binational agreement assigns annual water volumes to each country and has often generated tensions due to non-compliance with the quotas, mainly because of droughts and the effects of global warming.
The Donald Trump administration has been intensely pressuring Mexico to comply with its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty, demanding the immediate delivery of millions of cubic meters of water from the Rio Grande and Colorado due to an accumulated deficit, threatening to impose tariffs, as mentioned again this Monday.
Mexico argues that the water shortage is due to historic droughts and that there is a plan to replenish it; however, despite the Trump administration seeking diplomatic solutions, it said last week it is evaluating all options, including sanctions, to ensure compliance, as Trump mentioned.
Last week, officials from the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Agriculture, and the International Boundary and Water Commission met with their Mexican counterparts to address the issue, which since April has opened a new front in the binational relationship.
According to the U.S. government, in the meeting with Mexican government representatives, additional information was requested from the country, and a second meeting will be held “to consider other options.”
Image: DiarioNY
