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The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it had reached an understanding with Mexico to meet current water obligations under a 1944 Water Treaty and repay a water deficit in Texas.
The binational water treaty requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. over a five-year cycle. In turn, the U.S. is expected to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River.
The federal government and Texas lawmakers allege Mexico has continuously failed to meet those requirements, hurting the livelihoods of South Texas farmers.
The state's last sugar mill — Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc — closed last year following persistent water shortages.
Under the new understanding, Mexico has agreed to release 202,000-acre feet of water to the U.S.
Deliveries are expected to begin this week with timely repayments of the deficit from the previous water cycle.
The agreement extends to the current cycle and the previous cycle's water deficit. The U.S. and Mexico continue negotiations over the treaty and are expended to finalize a plan on deliveries by the end of January 2026.
"As Mexico ramps up its water delivery, USDA stands ready to work with Congress, interagency partners, and farmers to ensure producers receive certainty as they plan for the upcoming crop season," the USDA said in a news release.
The agreement also outlines that both countries acknowledge the critical importance of water sharing obligations and reaffirm the need to increase engagement in order to ensure timely deliveries.
This comes after the Trump administration had threatened to impose 5% tariffs on Mexican products if treaty obligations continued to be unmet. The USDA said those tariffs remain on the table if Mexico violates its commitments.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller applauded the agreement.
"For years, producers in the Rio Grande Basin have been short of the water they are legally owed, causing the loss of crops, jobs, industries, and livelihoods," Miller said in a statement. "Texas farmers expect Mexico to fully meet its obligations — not just today, but for years to come."
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