Trump Floats Lake America for Ontario as Canada Readies Tariffs and Ford Threatens Electricity and Mineral Leverage

President Donald Trump threatened to rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America' as his trade war with Canada escalated, saying the United States is giving 'serious consideration' to changing the name while Ottawa prepares billions in retaliatory tariffs.

Trump made the suggestion in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, arguing that the US no longer expects to do much business with Ontario. He later shared an image appearing to show 'Lake America' replacing 'Lake Ontario' on a map.

The intervention came as Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth C$27.6 billion, roughly US$20 billion, in response to new American tariffs on Canadian imports. The measures mark the sharpest deterioration in US-Canada relations in decades.

Why Trump's 'Lake America' Threat Is More Than Just Rhetoric

'The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don't expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer,' Trump wrote.

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes and lies along the US-Canada border, with Ontario on its northern shore and New York State to the south.

Trump's proposal echoes his earlier push to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America'. In January 2025, he signed an executive order directing the US government to adopt the new name, although the change has not been universally accepted outside the United States.

The latest comments were aimed particularly at Ontario, Canada's most populous province, whose premier, Doug Ford, has become a frequent target of Trump's criticism during the trade dispute.

Trump has repeatedly accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States and has warned that Ottawa must accept his terms or face tougher economic measures.

Canadian officials have largely avoided engaging with the president's increasingly personal rhetoric, instead focusing on retaliatory measures and support for businesses and workers affected by the tariffs.

Canada's C$27.6 Billion Retaliation and What It Targets

The row over Lake Ontario comes after negotiations between Washington and Ottawa collapsed last week.

The United States imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about C$27.6 billion of Canadian goods from August 22, according to the Canadian government.

The duties affect a range of products and followed the failure of talks aimed at resolving wider trade disputes. On Tuesday, Canada announced it would respond with tariffs matching the new US duties 'dollar for dollar, rate for rate'.

The Canadian measures, which are due to take effect on September 8, target US products including steel, dairy goods, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.

Ottawa is also providing financial support for workers and businesses expected to be affected by the escalating trade war. Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously warned that Canada would respond firmly to US tariffs, while stressing that his government wants to protect Canadian industries and reduce the economic damage caused by the dispute.

Trump has meanwhile threatened further tariffs on Canadian vehicles and automotive parts, adding pressure to an already deeply strained relationship.

The proposed 'Lake America' name would have no immediate effect on the trade measures themselves, but it has become the latest symbol of the increasingly tense dispute between Washington and Ottawa.

For now, Lake Ontario remains its established name, but the threat itself underscores how far the relationship between the two neighbours has deteriorated as their tariff battle continues.