The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Monday that he has authorized the imposition of a 5% tariff on Mexico if the neighboring country does not immediately release 246.6 million cubic meters of water pending under the Water Treaty, a breach that, according to Trump, has seriously affected the crops and livestock of Texas. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump added that Mexico still owes more than 986.4 million cubic meters of water accumulated over the last five years and warned that as long as the treaty is not complied with, American farmers will continue to suffer economic damages. 'The longer Mexico takes to release the water, the more our farmers will be harmed,' the president emphasized, urging the Mexican government to 'solve this now.' In Mexico, just a few days ago, the new General Water Law was approved, which has also caused protests among farmers. Trump's warning to Mexico comes just hours after he met at the White House with a group of agricultural leaders from southern Texas, who, along with Governor Greg Abbott and Republican Senator Ted Cruz, have been seeking to pressure Mexico to comply with the 1944 water agreement, which regulates the management of the Colorado, Bravo, and Conchos rivers that cross both nations. According to the 1944 treaty, the United States must send 1,850 million cubic meters from the Colorado River to Mexico each year, and Mexico must send 2,185 million cubic meters from the Rio Bravo in five-year cycles. Mexico continues to violate our Water Treaty, and this violation is seriously damaging our BEAUTIFUL CROPS AND LIVESTOCK IN TEXAS. The Republican's threat comes on the same day that his Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, acknowledged that the agricultural sector was facing a crisis, worse than any most farmers would have lived through. The Secretary added that farmers would receive their help on February 28, 2026, and would know how much they would receive by the end of the year. Trump stated at the White House: 'We love our farmers,' and announced a rescue of $12 billion that will be taken from a fund at the Department of Agriculture.
