Washington, Aug 28 (V7N)- US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the renaming of Lake Ontario, located on the US-Canada border, to “Lake America” amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries.

Trump signed the order in the Oval Office on Thursday (August 27). Under the order, the US Department of the Interior has been instructed to change the lake's name in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a US government geographic database, within 30 days.

However, the decision will primarily apply to US government usage. Washington does not have the authority to compel Canada or other countries to adopt the new name.

Trump said the change would take effect immediately and that he would submit the necessary documents. He has been discussing the idea of renaming Lake Ontario for some time amid the ongoing trade dispute with Canada.

The United States recently imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on nearly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade negotiations between the two countries broke down. Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs that are expected to take effect next month.

Trump claimed that Canada has treated the United States unfairly in trade for many years. However, he said the decision to rename the lake was not directly intended as a measure against Canada.

He also hinted that he could consider changing the names of the Atlantic or Pacific oceans in the future.

The decision was immediately rejected by Canadian leaders. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the lake has been known as Lake Ontario for more than 400 years and Canada will continue to use that name.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also said that for Canadians and the rest of the world, the body of water will remain Lake Ontario. New York Governor Kathy Hochul likewise said her state would not use the name “Lake America.”

Lake Ontario is one of North America's five Great Lakes. It is bordered by Ontario, Canada, to the north and New York state in the United States to the south. Its name has Indigenous linguistic roots and predates the modern national identities of the United States and Canada.

This is not the first time Trump has sought to rename a major body of water. After returning to office in 2025, he issued an executive order directing the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Several countries, including Mexico, have continued to use the original name.

Similarly, the new name for Lake Ontario is not expected to automatically gain international recognition, and other countries may continue to use “Lake Ontario” in their official and customary references.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers in the United States have criticized Trump's decision. Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell said she plans to introduce legislation in Congress seeking to reverse the renaming order.

END/SMA/AJ