U.S. Sen. John Cornyn discusses 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty at Mission press conference

Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

MISSION, Texas - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says the U.S. is “almost” coming close to a trade war with Mexico due that country’s failure to comply with an international water treaty.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Mission Event Center, Cornyn said the Texas agricultural industry is facing an “existential crisis” because Mexico has not released water under the 1944 U.S.-Mexico water sharing treaty.

“We’ve tried everything from diplomacy to threatening the withhold financing from Mexico, and we're not done yet. Unfortunately, the current administration has said that if we push too hard on Mexico to release the water that they're obligated to do under the 1944 treaty that they may push back,” Cornyn said.

“But the fact of the matter is, as we have heard, Mexico continues to use that water to grow its own agriculture industry and then export that into the United States.”

Cornyn said Mexico is keeping back water owed to the United States and using it to develop its own agricultural industry. He said it is then exporting that product to the United States.

“You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that's going to mean to production agriculture here in the Rio Grande Valley,” Cornyn said.

“But we're not going to let that happen. We're going to continue to push back on Mexico until they do the right thing, which is to release water they are obligated to under that 1944 treaty.”

Cornyn said Mexico “routinely” holds back water it is supposed to provide the U.S. In the current cycle, he said, the hope was that the Biden Administration, and specifically Secretary of State Tony Blinken, could negotiate with the Mexican authorities.

“Basically, they came away empty handed,” said Cornyn, referring to the Biden Administration.

“As you heard today, their response was, ‘well, we don't want to push too hard, because Mexico might push back’. But the fact of the matter is, this is an existential threat to agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley.”

With farmers, ranchers, and irrigation district managers from South Texas joining him for a roundtable discussion, Cornyn said:

“We can't take no for an answer. We don't intend to take no for an answer. We're not looking to pick a fight. But we’re not going to run away from the fight. We're going to use every tool in the toolbox.”

One of those tools, Cornyn said, was withholding foreign aid to Mexico.

“It remains to be seen whether that be necessary. Our goal really is to get Mexico's attention.”

Cornyn said he hoped the incoming Sheinbaum Administration will be more receptive to the United States.

“You've heard from some of the descriptions, Mexico has the routinely withheld water that it is obligated to provide under this treaty since 1944. It never really quite came home to me until I heard the explanation here how much Mexico, by withholding the water, can advantage their own domestic agriculture sector and then export it to the United States while withholding the water necessary for the United States to be able to grow those same products here in South Texas.

“So, it seems to be that we're coming very close to almost a trade war with Mexico. We have long standing treaties, with NAFTA, the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. What we will insist upon is reciprocity. We will treat Mexico exactly the way we expect to be treated, and we expect that they will treat us the way we expect to be treated. That means with respect and putting them to the legal obligations contained in that 1944 treaty.”

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