Mexico and US Finalize Water Treaty Amid Trade Tensions

Mexico City. A water agreement has been reached between Mexico and the United States.

Under the agreement, Mexico will send a fixed amount of water to the United States annually. US President Donald Trump had warned that if Mexico did not release sufficient water, a 5 percent additional customs duty would be imposed on goods coming from there to the US. The two countries had been in discussions on this matter for months.

According to the new agreement, Mexico will send at least 350,000 acre-feet of water to the US every year during the current five-year cycle. One acre-foot of water is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot.

The two countries had a water treaty in 1944, in which Mexico committed to releasing a minimum amount of water to the US annually. Under the current agreement, Mexico was required to release 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the US from five tributaries every five years.

However, the US accused Mexico of providing less water in the initial years and compensating for it in the later years. The US states that Mexico's behavior has harmed farmers in Texas. It is hoped that this problem will be resolved as the new agreement mandates a minimum annual water supply.