Trump threatens 5% tariff on Mexico over water treaty violations affecting Texas farmers

President Donald Trump warned Monday that Mexico’s failure to deliver water owed under a decades-old treaty is harming Texas farmers and could trigger a new tariff if the country does not immediately release a critical share of its required supply.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Mexico must release 200,000 acre-feet of water through the 1944 Water Treaty before Dec. 31 or face a 5% tariff.

“Mexico continues to violate our comprehensive Water Treaty, and this violation is seriously hurting our BEAUTIFUL TEXAS CROPS AND LIVESTOCK,” the president wrote. “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.”

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

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“The longer Mexico takes to release the water, the more our Farmers are hurt. Mexico has an obligation to FIX THIS NOW,” he added.

Texas farm groups warned last year of a disastrous season for citrus and sugar as Mexican and U.S. officials worked to resolve a dispute over the 1944 treaty that supplies U.S. farmers with critical irrigation. The two countries have clashed over the treaty before, but drought-driven shortages were the most severe in nearly 30 years.

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In April, the Trump administration and Mexican officials reached a deal to ensure Texas farmers get much-needed water from the Rio Grande, less than a month after Trump accused Mexico of withholding water promised under the treaty.

Under that agreement, Mexico committed to send water from international reservoirs and increase U.S. flow from six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle.

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins called the measure a significant step forward and said the Trump administration welcomes Mexico’s continued cooperation in support of American agriculture.

Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico agreed to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water over five years from the Rio Grande.

In exchange, the U.S. agreed to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet to Mexico from the Colorado River.

But Mexico has fallen short at times, leading to severe water shortages in the Rio Grande Valley for farmers and ranchers. Those shortages have killed crops and jobs and threatened the region’s economy.