Trump Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' Amid Canada Trade War

**Trump Orders Federal Renaming of Lake Ontario as Lake America Amid Trade Dispute with Canada**

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing U.S. federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" on official maps, documents, and databases. The move comes as trade tensions escalate between the United States and Canada.

The executive order applies only to U.S. government materials and does not extend to Canada’s portion of the lake. It also does not compel Canada, international legal bodies, or global mapmakers to adopt the new name.

This is not the first time Trump has sought to rename a body of water shared with another nation. On the first day of his second term, he signed an order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." During Thursday’s announcement, he suggested the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans could be next, though no formal action has been taken.

The latest executive order was signed as trade relations between the U.S. and Canada deteriorate. Over the weekend, trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa collapsed. The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on several Canadian imports, with additional tariffs on steel, trucks, cars, and auto parts set to take effect next year. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced retaliatory tariffs of 25% to 50% on hundreds of U.S. goods.

Trump has previously suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, a proposal that has drawn sharp criticism from Canadian officials. On Thursday, he reiterated that Canada seeks to be treated like a U.S. state but is not one. He also cited a $60 billion U.S. trade deficit with Canada, though economists note this figure is largely driven by U.S. oil imports. Without those imports, the U.S. maintains a trade surplus with Canada.

The president claimed that American farmers face a 400% tariff on exports to Canada, though approximately 97% of U.S. agricultural exports enter Canada duty-free under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Some over-quota dairy products, including eggs and milk, face tariffs of up to 300%.

Trump also stated that the U.S. receives no compensation for defending Canada, despite both nations being NATO members with mutual defense obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty and other agreements.

An administration official noted that the majority of Lake Ontario’s volume lies within U.S. territory, with its deepest point also in American waters. The name change takes effect immediately, though its practical impact remains limited to U.S. federal materials.

The executive order follows a pattern of symbolic actions by the Trump administration amid strained international relations. Canada has not yet issued an official response to the renaming.