Trump Renames Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ Amid Trade Dispute

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:54:33 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ as tensions with Canada rise over tariffs and trade negotiations.

In a move that echoes previous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, President Trump signed an executive order changing Lake Ontario to Lake America, coinciding with rising trade tensions between the United States and Canada. The order comes after the US imposed a 50% tariff on $20 billion of Canadian goods, sparking Canadian counter‑tariffs. Canadian officials have dismissed the name change, stressing the lake’s historical name and the lack of an international authority to enforce such changes. The decision reignites debates over sovereign naming rights and the use of geographic names in diplomatic contexts. The move adds another layer of conflict to a trade dispute that has impacted businesses across both countries.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' at the same moment of heightened trade friction with Canada.

The order follows a clash in trade talks that ended with the United States applying a 50% tariff on $20 billion of Canadian goods. Canada announced matching tariffs next month.

Trump’s move echoes a 2025 decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America—a change that Mexico rejected and that sparked conflict with Google Maps publishers.

Canadian leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and Industry Minister Melanie Joly, have publicly rejected the renaming, citing the lake’s 400‑year history and absence of a transnational naming authority.

The infamous order will direct the Department of the Interior to update the Geographic Names Information Service, but it will not compel Canada to adopt the new name.

As trade negotiations stall, this symbolic act may further sour relations and highlight the politics behind naming natural features shared by nations.