Mexico will deliver water to Texas farmers promptly, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday, in a gesture meant to defuse tensions with the United States regarding a historical water treaty. The move comes after US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs or sanctions if Mexico did not honor its commitments under the 1944 treaty.
Speaking during her daily press briefing, Sheinbaum added that Mexico is actively working to meet its obligations under the 81-year-old accord. A formal offer has already been made to US authorities, she added.
“For the Texas farmers who are asking for water, there will be an immediate release of a few million cubic meters, subject to existing availability in the Rio Grande,” Sheinbaum said.
Mexico is obligated under the 1944 treaty to supply 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the United States every five years from the Rio Grande basin. But Mexico has supplied less than 30% of the quota so far, the International Boundary and Water Commission stated, with the current five-year cycle ending this October.
Texas authorities and Republican legislators have charged Mexico with shirking its treaty commitments, contending that the shortage is damaging American farming. The problem has become a flashpoint, with Trump issuing threats of economic reprisal.
Sheinbaum blamed delays on extreme drought in northern Mexico and maintained the treaty is “fair.” She was hopeful that a deal would be reached soon, dismissing the idea of long-term conflict.
Mexican officials are working desperately on a fresh delivery plan under concerns that the conflict might spill over into broader trade negotiations, sources informed Reuters. Any attempt by the federal government to satisfy the quota would be resisted by northern states that are sensitive about their scarce water resources, particularly after a controversial amendment to the treaty allowing the federal government to take control over local reserves.
