Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ in the United States

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump remarked Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as "Lake America" in the United States as he escalates his trade war with Canada.

Key points

• 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.
• The Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake's name in the U.S.
• Trump has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S.

What happened

In practice, the Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake's name in the U.S. Geographic naming service. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, nevertheless.

Trump has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. Confirmed it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after negotiations 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.

The bottom line

For now, trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America in the United remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.