U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs and sanctions on Mexico, accusing it of failing to meet its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. The treaty mandates that Mexico deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of Rio Grande water to the U.S. over a five-year period. Trump claims that Mexico owes Texas 1.3 million acre-feet, alleging that this shortfall has significantly harmed South Texas farmers, especially amid worsening drought conditions.
The president highlighted the recent closure of Texas’s only sugar mill as a consequence of the water shortage and criticized President Joe Biden for not addressing the issue. Trump emphasized that his administration, supported by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Senator Ted Cruz, will escalate consequences—including tariffs and sanctions—if Mexico fails to comply with the treaty.
In response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that Mexico has been complying with the treaty “to the extent water is available,” citing a three-year drought affecting the region.
The U.S. State Department recently denied Mexico’s request for water from the Colorado River to be delivered to Tijuana, citing continual shortfalls in Mexico’s treaty obligations.
This development comes during the most severe binational water shortage in nearly three decades, raising concerns about the potential impact on U.S.-Mexico relations and the agricultural economy in South Texas.
