Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’, effective immediately, as Canada’s trade war intensifies | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday ordering the US government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America”, escalating an increasingly bitter dispute with Canada. The change is set to take effect immediately.
Trump has threatened to change the name of Lake Ontario
Trump first floated the idea on Tuesday (Aug 25), saying the United States was “seriously considering” the name change because Washington did not expect to do much business with Ontario. His proposal came at a time when trade talks between the US and Canada have collapsed.
The move follows Trump’s earlier push to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” which similarly ordered US federal agencies to use the new name.
Trump issued an order to change the name of the Persian Gulf after returning to office, ordering US federal agencies to use the new designation. As with the last move regarding Lake Ontario, the US government can adopt the name for its own official purposes, but cannot force other countries or international organizations to follow suit.
Trump has indicated that his campaign to rename large bodies of water may not stop at Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico.
“So when you think about it, we have a bay and a lake. Now all we need is an ocean,” Trump told reporters.
“We may have to change the name of the Atlantic or the Pacific. We may change them,” he added.
Where is Lake Ontario?
Lake Ontario straddles the US-Canada border with the state of New York on its southern shore and the Canadian province of Ontario to the north. Its shared status makes any unilateral US renaming largely a matter of how US government agencies label the lake.
The name change comes at a time of escalating trade tensions
Trump’s decision comes as the US and Canada remain locked in a major trade dispute.
Canada has announced it will impose tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of US imports, with the measures set to take effect on September 8. The tariffs target hundreds of products and match Washington’s latest tariffs dollar for dollar.
Trump has also raised tariffs to 50% on Canadian cars, trucks and auto parts from January 1, 2027, further raising tensions between the two neighbours.