U.S. leaders announced a deal with Mexico to provide more water for Texas farmers after threats from President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins explained the deal with the Mexican government, ensuring the United States’s southern neighbor would meet its obligations as part of the 1944 water treaty. The Department of Agriculture said Mexico committed to transferring water from international reservoirs and increasing the flow of six of the country’s Rio Grande tributaries into the U.S. through the end of the current five-year water cycle, as stipulated under the treaty.
“Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture,” Rollins said. “After weeks of negotiations with Mexican cabinet officials alongside the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive.”
“While this is a significant step forward, we welcome Mexico’s continued cooperation to support the future of American agriculture,” the USDA secretary added. “None of this would have been possible without the fervent support of our farmers from President Trump and his work to hold our trading partners accountable.”
House Agriculture Committee member Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), who represents part of South Texas, praised the move.
“I am thrilled to share that the U.S. reached an agreement for the Mexican Government to deliver the water owed to South Texas. After two years of setbacks, we now have an Administration that has been bold and shown strength. This is a major win for our South Texas communities, farmers, and ranchers!” she said.
Rollins and Landau, who served as ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021, were helped in negotiations by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the State Department.
The issue of the 1944 U.S.-Mexico water treaty came to the forefront earlier this month when Trump accused Mexico of failing to meet its side of the bargain. In an angry Truth Social post on April 10, he threatened tariffs and sanctions if the matter wasn’t corrected.
“Mexico OWES Texas 1.3 million acre-feet of water under the 1944 Water Treaty, but Mexico is unfortunately violating their Treaty obligation. This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers very badly,” Trump said, accusing former President Joe Biden of failing to act.
“THAT ENDS NOW! I will make sure Mexico doesn’t violate our Treaties, and doesn’t hurt our Texas Farmers. Just last month, I halted water shipments to Tijuana until Mexico complies with the 1944 Water Treaty. My Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, is standing up for Texas Farmers, and we will keep escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, maybe even SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!” he added.
In a press conference shortly after Trump’s threat, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that her American counterpart was correct in that Mexico had fallen behind on its treaty obligations.
“For Texas farmers who are requesting water, there will be an immediate delivery of several million cubic meters, based on what’s available in the Rio Grande,” she said.
Sheinbaum also struck an optimistic tone, saying she doesn’t see the matter as a “source of conflict,” and her country was “looking for alternatives to comply” with the treaty.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce thanked Sheinbaum for her cooperation in fixing the issue in a Monday statement.
TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS AND MORE TARIFFS ON MEXICO OVER WATER DISPUTE
“The United States thanks President Sheinbaum for her personal involvement in facilitating cooperation across multiple levels of her government to establish a unified path to addressing this ongoing priority,” she said. “We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Government of Mexico to find solutions to the water scarcity affecting communities on both sides of the border, including measures to promote water conservation and to ensure regular and predictable water deliveries to the United States.”
Under the treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. from the Rio Grande every five years in exchange for the U.S. sending 1.5 million acre-feet from the Colorado River to Mexico annually.
