President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose a 5 percent tariff on Mexico, accusing the country of violating a decades-old treaty that grants U.S. farmers access to water from the Rio Grande.
In a social media post, Trump said Mexico owes the U.S. 800,000 acre-feet of water as part of a 1944 treaty between the two countries to share water from Colorado, Tijuana and Rio Grande rivers. Trump said the lack of water is hurting Texas crops and livestock and demanded that Mexico release 200,000 acre-feet before the end of the year.
“As of now, Mexico is not responding, and it is very unfair to our U.S. Farmers who deserve this much needed water,” Trump wrote. “The longer Mexico takes to release the water, the more our Farmers are hurt. Mexico has an obligation to FIX THIS NOW.”
Texas farmers have long pushed for Mexico to send more water to meet the obligations of the 81-year-old treaty that says Mexico is obligated to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. every five years. Trump also threatened sanctions and tariffs against Mexico in April, complaining then that the country had delivered less than 30 percent of the requirement over a five-year window that ended in October.
Mexico argues that climate change-driven drought has hindered its ability to send the requisite water, but officials promised to send 420,000 acre-feet to the U.S. by October.
Trump’s Truth Social post came shortly after he spent the afternoon with farmers and lawmakers from agriculture-heavy states while announcing a $12 billion bailout for farmers who were hurt by his ongoing trade war.
Mexican imports currently face a 25 percent tariff, though most goods are exempted if they comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Trump negotiated during his first term. It also faces additional tariffs on autos, auto parts, steel and aluminum that Trump imposed on imports from around the world on national security grounds.
Doug Palmer contributed to this report.
