Trump Orders Lake Ontario Renamed 'Lake America' Amid Collapse of US-Canada Trade Talks

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday instructing the federal government to officially refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” This move coincides with escalating trade tensions between the two neighbouring nations following the breakdown of recent negotiations.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Trump announced that his administration would simultaneously implement higher tariffs on Canadian vehicles and various other goods. “The name change into Lake of America was something I've been thinking about for a long time,” he stated. He further joked about potentially renaming the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Previously, Mr Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” a decision that sparked widespread criticism abroad. While international bodies disregarded the change, US tech companies such as Google updated their mapping services for domestic users.

The announcement followed three days of intense trade discussions that ultimately collapsed without a resolution, with both Washington and Ottawa pointing fingers at one another. Consequently, the US enacted 50 per cent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products. In response, Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada would retaliate “dollar for dollar” through its own tariffs on US goods.

Mr Trump defended the 50 per cent tariff on Canadian vehicles and car parts, claiming the US economy had suffered annual losses of $60 billion over the past 15 years. The new US tariffs target hundreds of Canadian items—representing roughly 5 per cent of Canada’s exports to the US—including plywood, liquor, electrical equipment, and hockey gear. In retaliation, Mr Carney outlined that Canada will impose counter-tariffs on US steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, electronics, and additional products.