Trump Threatens Mexico With Additional Tariffs Over Failure to Fulfill Water Agreement  

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new 5% tariffs on Mexico if the country does not “immediately” comply with a decades-old water treaty.  

“Mexico still owes the U.S over 800,000 acre-feet of water for failing to comply with our Treaty over the past five years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty.  

The treaty requires the U.S. to send Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of water from the Colorado River every year, and for Mexico to supply the U.S. with 1.75 million acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande over a five-year cycle. Mexico has fallen significantly behind on its water deliveries to the U.S., creating challenges specifically for farmers and ranchers in Texas.  

As of Nov. 25, the U.S. State Department reports Mexico is approximately 865,000 acre-feet short of meeting the required amount of water it is to supply to the U.S. in the five-year period ending on Dec. 31.  

“The U.S needs Mexico to release 200,000 acre-feet of water before December 31st, and the rest must come soon after,” Trump wrote.  

“As of now, Mexico is not responding, and it is very unfair to our U.S. Farmers who deserve this much needed water. That is why I have authorized documentation to impose a 5% Tariff on Mexico if this water isn’t released, IMMEDIATELY,” the president said. “The longer Mexico takes to release the water, the more our Farmers are hurt. Mexico has an obligation to FIX THIS NOW. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”  

Drought has significantly reduced the flow of the Rio Grande, a river that provides six million people with drinking water in Mexico and the U.S., according to Inside Climate News.  

If the water agreed upon in the treaty is not delivered to the U.S., “Texas water users are forced to secure alternate sources of water, change crops, and reduce operations,” according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  

The additional 5% tariff that Trump has threatened if Mexico does not deliver the water would be on top of an already existing 25% tariff rate. Many goods imported from Mexico to the U.S., however, are exempt from tariff under the United States—Mexico—Canada Agreement.  

Since returning to office in January, Trump has relied heavily on tariffs as a tool to spur the U.S. economy and bring manufacturing back to the U.S. The president is expected to address questions about the water treaty and his tariff policies on Tuesday as he visits eastern Pennsylvania to discuss the economic successes of his administration.  

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