President Trump on Thursday threatened additional tariffs and other sanctions against Mexico over a long-running water dispute in a potential escalation of tensions with one of America’s biggest trading partners.
In a social media post, Mr. Trump accused Mexico of failing to provide 1.3 million acre-feet of water — or more than 420 billion gallons — under a 1944 treaty mediating the distribution of water from three rivers, the Rio Grande, the Colorado and the Tijuana.
“Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas farmers,” Mr. Trump said, adding that “we will keep escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, maybe even SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!”
Responding to Mr. Trump’s post, Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, acknowledged that her country had fallen short of its treaty commitments, saying that a yearslong drought had significantly hindered its ability to provide the full amount of water the agreement called for. She said that her government had sent “a comprehensive proposal” to U.S. diplomats to deliver water to Texas and find a solution satisfactory to both countries.
“To the extent of water availability, Mexico has been complying,” she wrote on social media. “I am sure that, as in other matters, an agreement will be reached.”
Mexico has struck a conciliatory tone in negotiations with the Trump administration, prioritizing dialogue over threats and a cool-headed approach over retaliatory measures. The strategy seems to have earned Ms. Sheinbaum some respect from Mr. Trump, who earlier on Thursday called her “a terrific person” and “a fantastic woman.”
There have been longstanding tensions over water between Mexico and the United States. In 2020, those tensions exploded into violence, with Mexican farmers seizing control of a dam in the border region in an effort to shut off water deliveries to the United States.
Rising temperatures and long droughts have made water more scarce, making the water from rivers Mexico and the United States share all the more valuable.
According to data provided by the International Boundary and Water Commission, which mediates water disputes between the two countries, Mexico has fallen well short of its treaty commitments on water delivery in the last five years. Between October 2020 and October 2024, Mexico provided just over 400,000 acre-feet of water, far less than the roughly 1.4 million acre-feet called for under treaty stipulations. The debt has only grown since.