Washington | 25 Aug 2026
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration was considering renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America”, linking the proposal to the escalating trade dispute between the United States and Canada. No formal name-change measure was announced.
Table of Contents
- Trump’s Lake Ontario Proposal Remains Informal
- Canada Declines to Engage With Renaming Remark
- Tariffs Deepen US-Canada Trade Dispute
- Lake Ontario Is a Shared Boundary Water
Trump’s Lake Ontario Proposal Remains Informal
Trump raised the possible change in a post on Truth Social, saying the United States expected to conduct substantially less business with Ontario. He later shared an altered map showing the existing name crossed out and “Lake America” displayed in its place.
“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.”
— Donald Trump, President of the United States
The post did not specify whether the administration would issue an executive order or pursue another formal process. Trump previously directed US federal agencies to use “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico through an executive order signed in January 2025.
Canada Declines to Engage With Renaming Remark
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister responsible for US trade, said the federal government would not respond to daily social-media statements from Trump or members of his administration.
The Canadian government did not indicate that it would recognise any alternative name for the lake. Trump’s proposal would not by itself determine how Canadian authorities, international organisations or institutions outside the United States identify the waterway.
Tariffs Deepen US-Canada Trade Dispute
The remarks came after bilateral trade negotiations broke down and Washington imposed tariffs of 50 per cent on Canadian goods valued at C$27.6 billion, effective from 22 August.
Canada subsequently announced matching counter-tariffs on C$27.6 billion of US products from 8 September. The measures cover sectors including steel and aluminium, dairy products, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, plastics and electronics. Existing Canadian counter-tariffs on US vehicles will remain in force.
Trump has also threatened tariffs of 50 per cent on Canadian vehicles, automotive components and steel. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has accused Washington of seeking concessions that would damage Canada’s automotive, steel and aluminium industries.
Lake Ontario Is a Shared Boundary Water
Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes. It lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York and forms part of the international boundary between the two countries.
Canada and the United States cooperate on shared waters through arrangements including the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and the International Joint Commission. Trump’s post did not explain how the proposed name would apply to the lake’s binational status or existing cross-border institutions.
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