President Donald Trump on Monday warned that Mexico’s continued failure to meet its water delivery obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty is harming Texas farmers and could result in a new tariff if the country does not release additional water by the end of the year, as reported by the New York Post.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Mexico must release 200,000 acre-feet of water before Dec. 31 or face a 5% tariff.
He wrote, “Mexico continues to violate our comprehensive Water Treaty, and this violation is seriously hurting our BEAUTIFUL TEXAS CROPS AND LIVESTOCK. Mexico still owes the US over 800,000 acre-feet of water for failing to comply with our Treaty over the past five years.”
Trump added, “The US [sic] needs Mexico to release 200,000 acre-feet of water before December 31st, and the rest must come soon after. As of now, Mexico is not responding, and it is very unfair to our US 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.”
He continued, “The longer Mexico takes to release the water, the more our Farmers are hurt. Mexico has an obligation to FIX THIS NOW.”
Texas agricultural groups previously warned of severe impacts on citrus and sugar crops due to ongoing disputes over Mexico’s deliveries under the treaty, which supplies critical irrigation water to the Rio Grande Valley.
The shortages have contributed to crop failures, job losses, and broader economic challenges for the region.
The two countries have faced disagreements over the treaty before, but recent drought conditions made shortages the most severe in nearly three decades.
In April, the Trump administration and Mexican officials reached an agreement requiring Mexico to increase water flows from six Rio Grande tributaries and to provide water from international reservoirs through the remainder of the current five-year cycle.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said at the time that the measure represented a major step toward supporting American farmers.
Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico committed to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of Rio Grande water to the United States every five years, while the United States agreed to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water to Mexico.
Mexico has periodically fallen behind on these deliveries, prompting disputes and creating shortages for Texas farmers and ranchers.
Trump’s message signals that the administration may again escalate economic pressure if Mexico does not meet its water obligations. The current water cycle ends on Dec. 31.
