‘Very unfair’: Trump threatens extra 5% tariff on Mexico over water dispute

Donald Trump has threatened Mexico with a 5% tariff due to a dispute over water owed to the US under a 1944 treaty. Trump claims Mexico owes 800,000 acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande and demands the immediate release of 200,000 acre-feet to aid struggling US farmers in Texas and other border states. The treaty requires Mexico to send 1.75 million acre-feet of water every five years, but Mexico cites drought conditions as a reason for the shortfall. US lawmakers have previously urged Congress to withhold funds from Mexico until the water is delivered, highlighting the ongoing political tensions surrounding the water-sharing agreement.

In December 2025, US President Donald Trump imposed a 5% tariff on imports from Mexico, citing the country's failure to meet its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. Trump stated that Mexico owes the US over 800,000 acre-feet of water and demanded the immediate release of 200,000 acre-feet by the end of the year. The US president claims that Mexico's non-compliance is harming American farmers in Texas. The treaty governs water distribution from the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and their tributaries, requiring Mexico to provide a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water to the US annually. Mexico is struggling with drought conditions, making it difficult to meet its treaty obligations.