TD WASHINGTON, USA — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America”, escalating an increasingly bitter trade and diplomatic dispute with Canada.
Trump signed the order Thursday at the Oval Office, saying the new designation would take effect immediately.
The order directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to update the federal government’s geographic naming records to reflect the new name.
The move follows Trump’s earlier threat to rename the lake amid deteriorating U.S.-Canada trade relations.
On Tuesday, he said the United States was giving “serious consideration” to the change because Washington did not expect to be doing much business with Ontario.
‘Lake America’
During the signing ceremony, Trump displayed a map of the Great Lakes with “Lake America” printed over the body of water traditionally known as Lake Ontario.
He also criticised Canada over trade and defence, saying the country had been taking advantage of the United States.
The renaming is largely symbolic, however.
The U.S. president can direct federal agencies to use a particular geographic name in official U.S. documents and maps.
However, Washington cannot compel Canada or international organisations to adopt the designation.
Shared by the United States and Canada
Lake Ontario is one of North America’s five Great Lakes and forms part of the international boundary between the United States and Canada.
The lake borders New York State on its southern and eastern sides and the Canadian province of Ontario to the north.
The waterway is also economically important to both countries, with the surrounding region forming part of one of the world’s most integrated cross-border economic areas.
Reuters reported that approximately 52% of the lake’s surface area is in Canadian territory, underscoring the difficulty of imposing a unilateral name change on the shared body of water.
Another Geographic Renaming
Trump’s action echoes his January 2025 executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for U.S. federal purposes.
The administration subsequently directed federal agencies to use the new designation in official U.S. government materials. Similar to the latest Lake Ontario decision, however, the United States cannot force foreign governments or international bodies to recognise the name.
Trump has even suggested that other major bodies of water could potentially be renamed.
Renaming Amid Trade War
The Lake America announcement comes as the longstanding U.S.-Canada relationship faces one of its most serious trade disputes in years.
Washington has imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, following the breakdown of trade negotiations. Canada has threatened retaliatory measures.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Canada’s trade policies and has previously floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, remarks that have further strained relations between the two neighbours.
Canadian officials have indicated that they are not treating Trump’s social-media pronouncements on the lake’s name as something that changes Canada’s position.
Name Predates Both Modern Countries
The name Ontario has Indigenous origins and predates the establishment of both modern Canada and the United States.
The lake’s traditional name is therefore much older than the current political dispute between Washington and Ottawa.
For now, the practical effect of Trump’s order is primarily within the U.S. federal government: American federal maps, databases and official documents will be instructed to use “Lake America.”
Canada, however, remains free to continue calling it Lake Ontario, meaning the shared waterway could effectively carry different official names on opposite sides of the border.
The episode represents the latest symbolic flashpoint in an increasingly confrontational relationship between the United States and its northern neighbour.
