Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday the country would hold talks with the United States to avoid a proposed 5 percent tariff tied to Mexico’s shortfall under a 1944 water treaty.
Sheinbaum told reporters at the National Palace she was confident an agreement could be reached. A virtual bilateral meeting was scheduled for later in the day with officials from the Foreign Ministry, the National Water Commission and the International Boundary and Water Commission.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened the tariff, accusing Mexico of failing to deliver required volumes of water from the Rio Grande. The treaty obliges Mexico to provide 2.185 billion cubic meters every five years, while receiving 1.850 billion cubic meters annually from the Colorado River.
Trump said Mexico owed more than 800,000 acre‑feet (986 million cubic meters) of water, harming U.S. agriculture and livestock. He set a Dec. 31, 2025 deadline for Mexico to release 200,000 acre‑feet, with the remainder to follow.
Mexico has delivered only one‑third of the agreed amount in the current cycle, citing an “extraordinary” drought in 2022 and 2023, according to Roberto Velasco, undersecretary for North America at the Foreign Ministry.