Agadir – US President Donald Trump signed an executive order today directing the renaming of Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” escalating tensions with Canada amid a growing trade dispute between the two countries.
Trump announced the change from the Oval Office, saying it would take effect immediately.
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America,” Trump told reporters.
He said the idea had been under consideration for some time, adding that the change followed his administration’s earlier decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
The White House order, titled “Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America,” directs the US Department of the Interior and Secretary Doug Burgum to implement the change in the federal government’s geographic naming system.
The move comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa face renewed strain following the collapse of trade negotiations last week. The talks ended after three days of negotiations, with both sides blaming the other for the failure to reach an agreement.
Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes and is shared by the US state of New York and Canada’s province of Ontario. Under a 1909 treaty, roughly 52% of the lake’s surface area lies within Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office did not immediately comment on Trump’s order. The measure applies to US federal usage and does not require Canadian authorities or international organizations to adopt the new name.
Trump previously ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America” in January 2025. The US Board on Geographic Names subsequently updated the federal Geographic Names Information System to reflect the change for federal use.
The latest renaming comes against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions. The US has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Canadian imports, while Canada has responded with retaliatory measures, adding pressure to the relationship between the two North American neighbors.
