Mexico’s government is negotiating with its northern states to send more water to the United States, amid a historic shortage that has sparked concerns about potential tariffs and sanctions.
The talks involve determining how much water can be delivered to the US without affecting Mexican producers, while complying with the 1944 water-sharing treaty between the two countries.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is engaged in discussions with the governors of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Chihuahua to reach a joint agreement on water delivery.
Mexico has fallen critically behind on its obligatory water deliveries to the US, with less than 30% of the required 1.75 million acre-feet of water sent from the Rio Grande in the current five-year cycle, which ends in October.
A recent amendment to the treaty empowers Mexican federal officials to take extra water from states to meet obligations, but this move is likely to face resistance from state governments.
The 81-year-old water-sharing agreement outlines water-sharing between the two countries through interconnected dams and reservoirs, and Sheinbaum’s administration is working to find a solution to the shortage.