The Agriculture Department said Monday that Mexico has agreed to transfer water to the U.S. as required under a 1944 treaty between the two countries, after President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions.
“While this is a significant step forward, we welcome Mexico’s continued cooperation to support the future of American agriculture,” USDA chief Brooke Rollins said in a statement.
She noted that Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau — former ambassador to Mexico — spent weeks negotiating with Mexican Cabinet officials to hammer out the agreement.
Mexico has routinely fallen behind in delivering water to Texas farmers, with officials there arguing that historic drought has made it impossible for them to keep up with the five-year cycles required under the treaty. Mexico will transfer water from international reservoirs to fulfill the requirement, per Monday’s announcement.
