Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 5% tariff on Mexico if it does not immediately provide additional water to help US farmers, accusing the country of violating a treaty that outlines water-sharing between the neighbors.
Under the treaty, which dates back to 1944, Mexico must send 1.75m acre-feet of water to the US from the Rio Grande through a network of interconnected dams and reservoirs every five years. The agreement also stipulates that the United States must annually allocate 1.5m acre-feet of water from the Colorado River to Mexico.
The water from the Rio Grande is used to support agriculture in Texas and other US border states.
He’s not even using the pretext of a trade imbalance to justify tariffs now. This goes way beyond his authority, but Congress and the courts have been asleep at the wheel so far.
They’re not asleep at the wheel. Stop spreading this.
They are complicit. They are okay with this.