U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for U.S. federal use, adding a fresh point of contention with Canada amid an escalating trade dispute between the neighboring countries.
The Republican president signed an executive order that updated the lake's name for the U.S. geographic naming service. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, however.
The move is reminiscent of his move last year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America.'"
Trump has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the countries broke down. Trump has been needling America’s northern neighbor since he returned to the White House last year, suggesting the ally with whom the U.S. once had warm relations should instead be absorbed as the 51st state.
Canada responded to Trump’s import taxes this week by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment
