Trump tariff threat on Mexico pushes water talks forward, raising hopes — and doubts — on both sides of the border
The Rio Grande flows near Mission, Texas, as shrinking water levels heighten concerns over supply on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border. Courtesy of | Macarena Hernández

By Matt Wilson and Anayancy Ulloa

President Donald Trump’s tariff threat on Monday pushed U.S.–Mexico water negotiations forward, raising hope on both sides of the border for a long-term solution to the binational water crisis.

In the shorter term, both Mexican and U.S. water advocates in South Texas — who agree on near-catastrophic water conditions — are less likely to find common ground on the issue.

Mexico has regularly failed to meet water delivery quotas stipulated in a 1944 Water Treaty that delineates how the water should be shared between both countries.

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