A last-minute agreement over shared water rights has averted a 5% tariff on Mexican exports to the United States, with Mexico committing to release nearly 250 million cubic meters of water under the 1944 treaty.
Mexico and the United States have reached an agreement that averts the imposition of a 5% tariff on Mexican goods, after both governments reaffirmed their commitment to the 1944 Water Treaty and agreed to the immediate release of nearly 250 million cubic meters of water, according to a joint statement issued Friday.
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Under the agreement, Mexico intends to release 249.163 million cubic meters of water, with deliveries scheduled to begin during the week of December 15. The volume meets a U.S. demand that Mexico deliver at least 246.6 million cubic meters before December 31, a condition set following Trump’s remarks earlier in the week.
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said negotiations are ongoing and that both sides aim to finalize a broader implementation plan by January 31, 2026.
The agreement followed several days of intense negotiations after Trump accused Mexico of owing more than 986.4 million cubic meters of water accumulated over the past five years, alleging economic harm to U.S. farmers and ranchers.
Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister for North America Roberto Velasco said severe drought conditions in 2022 and 2023 restricted the country’s ability to meet delivery targets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, acknowledged that Mexico delivered more water in a single year than in the previous four years combined, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, as cited in the joint statement.
México actúa conforme a lo establecido en el Tratado binacional de Aguas de 1944.
Se llegará a un acuerdo con EU respetando el derecho humano al agua, considerando las limitaciones de infraestructura, así como la sequía extrema hidrológica en el ciclo 36, sobre todo en 2023 y 24. pic.twitter.com/QITQhwjMcw— Jesús Ramírez Cuevas (@JesusRCuevas) December 9, 2025
Text reads: “Mexico acts in accordance with the Binational Water Treaty of 1944. An agreement will be reached with the EU respecting the human right to water, considering infrastructure constraints as well as extreme hydrological drought in cycle 36, especially in 2023 and 24.”
The 1944 Water Treaty
Under the 1944 deal, the United States is required to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water annually from the Colorado River to Mexico, while Mexico must provide 2.185 billion cubic meters from the Rio Grande over five-year cycles.
Both governments stressed the importance of complying with the treaty, which for more than eight decades has governed the shared management of the Colorado, Rio Grande, and Conchos rivers.
The statement also noted that in the event of noncompliance, each country retains the right to act in accordance with its national interests, subject to its international obligations.
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