WASHINGTON — U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned lawmakers on Wednesday, July 22, that the upcoming renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could face severe obstacles unless Mexico demonstrates full cooperation across key bilateral issues, specifically highlighting border security and compliance with long-standing water-sharing commitments.
Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Greer stated that President Donald Trump would find it difficult to approve an extension or joint review of the continental trade deal if Mexico fails to collaborate across all critical fronts. His comments came after U.S. senators raised sharp concerns over Mexico’s mounting deficit in delivering required water volumes from the Rio Grande basin to South Texas farmers.
“From President Trump’s perspective, it is clear that if we want to have a beneficial trade relationship and maintain an agreement with Mexico, they must also cooperate on this issue,” Greer testified, referencing both water management and border enforcement.
Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States over five-year cycles. Prolonged shortfalls have severely disrupted agricultural operations and irrigation districts in Texas, leading lawmakers to push for linking water compliance directly to USMCA trade privileges and potential tariff enforcement.
While water treaty oversight technically falls under the U.S. Department of State and Department of Agriculture, Greer confirmed that trade negotiators are actively tracking the dispute as part of the formal USMCA review process.
In response to U.S. pressure, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has previously pointed to severe regional droughts in northern Mexico, maintaining that annual water deliveries must remain flexible based on precipitation levels.
Following the Senate hearing, Greer traveled to Mexico City to meet directly with President Sheinbaum ahead of the third round of technical USMCA negotiations. Alongside water and security issues, U.S. negotiators are prioritizing stricter rules of origin, particularly in the automotive, steel, and aluminum sectors, to prevent third-party nations like China from exploiting regional trade benefits.
Source: El Universal
