Latest news with #1944WaterTreaty
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Welcoming Mexico's Water Deliveries To The United States And Steps To Meet 1944 Water Treaty Requirements
In a historic demonstration of leadership, President Trump prioritized ensuring Mexican water deliveries for Texas farmers under the 1944 Water Treaty. Through the direct engagement of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we are now delivering on the President's promise. Mexico has committed to make an immediate transfer of water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico's Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle. These steps will help American farmers, ranchers, and municipalities in Texas' Rio Grande Valley get much-needed water and reduce shortfalls in deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty. The United States and Mexico also committed to develop a long-term plan to reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts—including through additional monthly transfers and regular consultations on water deliveries that take into consideration the needs of Texas users.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senator Cornyn lauds new water agreement with Mexico
Washington, D.C. (FOX 44) – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced they have brokered a new agreement on the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande that secures water for farmers and ranchers in Texas: 'South Texas has been devastated by Mexico's repeated refusal to deliver the water it has owed the United States for far too long, and I commend the Trump administration for securing this critical deal for Mexico to finally send water to the region.' 'This new agreement will bring substantial amounts of acre-feet of water to the U.S., and I thank President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Rollins, and Deputy Secretary Landau for their leadership after years of the Biden administration sitting on its hands and letting Texans suffer.' 'I will continue working alongside President Trump and his administration to push Mexico for consistent, annual deliveries to live up to its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty and ensure our South Texas agriculture community has the resources needed to thrive.' Under the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, Mexico is obligated to deliver an average of 350,000-acre feet of water annually over a five-year cycle as its contribution to the Rio Grande's water supply. However, Mexico has consistently delayed fulfilling its water obligation until the end of the five-year cycle, which hinders South Texas farmers' ability to plan for and grow crops as well as ranchers' ability to provide water to livestock. The current cycle ends in October and so far, Mexico has paid less than 500,000 acre-feet of water—about a quarter of what it owes, according to IBWC data. Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening was also happy about $280 million in economic relief for Rio Grande Valley farmers suffering from Mexico's ongoing failure to meet water delivery obligations. 'Mexico's failure to deliver the water it owes our nation under the 1944 Water Treaty has created an unprecedented economic crisis for Rio Grande Valley farmers. Texas Farm Bureau is thankful for the efforts of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Texas Congressional leaders who recognized this tremendous hardship and today announced $280 million in critical economic relief to help impacted farmers in the area. 'We agree with Secretary Rollins that this assistance is only a short-term fix. It is imperative Mexico deliver the water it owes the United States. Texas Farm Bureau is committed to finding solutions to force Mexico to abide by the 1944 Water Treaty and ensure annual delivery of water to the U.S. This is a national legislative priority of our organization. 'Texas Farm Bureau appreciates the efforts of U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as the efforts U.S. Reps. Monica De La Cruz, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, in securing this important funding. The assistance will be provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a block grant agreement with the Texas Department of Agriculture, and we appreciate Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller for his work to deliver this assistance in a timely manner.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Mexico Agrees to Send More Water to Texas Amid Tariff Pressure
Mexico has agreed to immediate water deliveries to Texas farmers in an effort to resolve a growing dispute over a decades-old water-sharing treaty, which has strained relations with the United States and triggered threats of tariffs. The Mexican and U.S. governments on Monday The 1944 Water Treaty, which governs water sharing between the two nations through a network of interconnected dams and reservoirs, requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the United States from the Rio Grande every five years. In return, the United States provides Mexico with 1.5 million acre-feet from the Colorado River. Ideally, Mexico is expected to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water each year under the treaty. However, according to data from the International Boundary and Water Commission—an agency composed of officials from both governments that oversees enforcement of the agreement—Mexico delivered just over 400,000 acre-feet between October 2020 and October 2024, amounting to less than 30 percent of its required quota for the current five-year cycle. 'Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture,' U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Monday in a statement. 'After weeks of negotiations with Mexican cabinet officials alongside the Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, we secured an agreement to give Texas producers the water they need to thrive.' The agreement helped prevent the situation from spiraling into a full-blown trade conflict. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of 'stealing' Texas farmers' water and threatened additional tariffs if the water issue was not resolved. Related Stories 4/27/2025 4/24/2025 'Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas farmers,' Trump Hours after Trump's comments, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded on X, acknowledging that her country had fallen behind on its water deliveries. She attributed the shortfall to a three-year drought but said Mexico had proposed a comprehensive plan to U.S. diplomats aimed at satisfying both countries' needs. 'To the extent of water availability, Mexico has been complying,' she On Monday, the U.S. State Department Agricultural groups in Texas, who have long complained about Mexico's water debt, welcomed the deal. The Texas Farm Bureau, the largest organization representing farmers and ranchers across the state, called the short-term water relief a 'crucial first step.' 'Texas farmers and ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley are grateful Mexico is finally being held accountable for its non-compliance,' According to the organization, prolonged water shortages had already forced the closure of the state's only sugar mill, as sugarcane growers could no longer irrigate their fields. Other water-hungry crops, including citrus and cotton, were also at serious risk. 'The immediate deliveries of water and the deliveries of water in the next six months will be critical for farmers and ranchers who have long suffered because of Mexico's non-compliance,' Boening said. Water shortages have also taken a heavy toll on farmers on the other side of the border, where tensions over treaty compliance had sparked unrest. In September 2020, near the end of the previous five-year cycle, more than 2,000 protesters in the border state of Chihuahua stormed the La Boquilla dam on the Conchos River in an attempt to stop water from being released to the United States. The confrontation turned deadly when two people were killed as Mexican military police reined in to retake the facility.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mexico agrees to transfer more water to U.S.
April 29 (UPI) -- Mexico has agreed to immediately transfer water to the United States and increase the U.S. share of water flow from their shared rivers, after the Trump administration threatened its southern neighbor with tariffs if it did not fulfill its end of a water-sharing agreement. The United States and Mexico announced the agreement in separate statements on Monday. The 1944 Water Treaty between the two countries states that the United States is obligated to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually to Mexico from the Colorado River, and in return Mexico will deliver to the United States a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water each year, totaling 1.75 million acre-feet of water over a five-year cycle. However, Mexico has only delivered less than 500,000 acre-feet of water since October 2020, attracting the anger of President Donald Trump, who earlier this month threatened to impose tariffs and potentially sanctions against Mexico until it fulfilled its treaty obligations. President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo of Mexico had responded to Trump by blaming the water deficit on a three-year drought. In a statement Monday, her foreign ministry said, "With a strong desire to continue fulfilling the commitments outlined in the 1944 Treaty ... Mexico has agreed with the United States to implement a series of measures aimed at mitigating a potential shortfall in Mexico's water deliveries by the end of the cycle." "These measures include immediate water transfers as well as transfers during the upcoming rainy season," the foreign ministry said. Mexico will also increase the U.S. share of flow in six of Mexico's Rio Grande tributaries, according to the U.S. State Department, which said these measures will help American farmers, ranchers and municipalities in Texas' Rio Grande valley "get much-needed water and reduce shortfalls in deliveries." "The United States and Mexico also committed to develop a long-term plan to reliably meet treaty requirements while addressing outstanding water debts," it said in a statement.
Mint
29-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
US, Mexico Reach Key Water, Screwworm Deals Ahead of Trade Talks
(Bloomberg) -- Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks global trade. Sign up here. The US and Mexico reached two key agreements for the agricultural sector on Monday, smoothing over conflicts that threatened to escalate tensions between the neighbors amid trade negotiations brought on by Donald Trump's tariffs. Mexico committed to deliver water to farmers in Texas after the US complained it had failed to live up to a decades-long deal. The countries also reached an accord on how to fight the New World screwworm pest south of the border, averting potential restrictions on US livestock imports from Mexico. The resolutions of the deals show Mexico is finding ways to work with the US despite the more confrontational approach of the Trump administration. That bodes well for Mexico as it seeks relief from tariffs Trump is imposing on auto parts, steel and other goods. The Mexican government committed to transfer water from international reservoirs and increase the US share of the flow in six of Mexico's Rio Grande tributaries through the end of the current five-year water cycle, the US Department of Agriculture said on a statement. The five-year water cycle ends on Oct. 24 of this year, Mexico said in a separate statement. The deal is based on the 1944 Water Treaty, which established that Mexico must deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water over five years to the US from the Rio Grande, while the US delivers 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River, the USDA said. It is unclear how much water Mexico will transfer in the short term. Read Bloomberg Opinion: The US Water War With Mexico Is Just Starting 'Mexico has agreed with the US to implement a series of measures to mitigate potential shortfalls in water deliveries from Mexico toward the end of the cycle, providing for immediate water transfers, as well as during the next rainy season,' the Mexican Agriculture Ministry said in the statement. The 1944 Treaty offers benefits for both countries, so 'a renegotiation is not considered necessary,' the ministry added. Details of a separate pact to address the New World screwworm pest weren't immediately disclosed, but both sides said Monday that they had a deal. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins had previously warned the US could restrict livestock imports from Mexico again if the country didn't do more to fight the pest, which can cause disease in animals and even kill. Rollins said during a tour in Ohio that she had spoken with Mexico's Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegue and that they came to an agreement on the screwworm issue, Reuters reported Monday. Berdegue, for his part, said in a post on X that he and Rollins satisfactorily addressed 'the measures that are in the interest of both countries to continue working together to contain and eradicate the cattle screwworm.' In November, the US Agriculture Department had gone even further, halting imports of cattle from Mexico after detecting one case of screwworm in Chiapas state. They were resumed in January. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided confrontation with Trump and has instead called for a 'cool-headed' approach to addressing her US counterpart's grievances, including via direct phone calls between the two leaders. She's won some delays and scaled-back tariffs from Trump, who has said that the concessions he has agreed to are due to his respect for her. Although Trump exempted Mexico from retaliatory tariffs, the country is still facing levies on goods that are not covered by North America's free trade agreement, along with steel, aluminum and the portion of finished automobiles that aren't made in the US. Sheinbaum's government has said it is confident of reducing those tariffs and also achieving a successful review of the US-Mexico-Canada agreement. The pact is scheduled to be revisited next year, but the process could be pushed earlier. More stories like this are available on First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 09:57 AM IST
