Google Maps Reflects Trump's Lake Renaming in US-Canada Trade War
The US-Canada trade war has taken an unusual turn as Google Maps has begun labeling Lake Ontario 'Lake America' for users in the United States. However, Canadians will still see the lake's traditional name, which dates back to the 17th century.
The change is a result of President Donald Trump's decision to rename the Great Lake, which was met with criticism from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. 'It's absolutely backwards,' Ford said in an interview on ABC's This Week.
The trade war between the two countries has seen Washington and Ottawa impose tariffs on each other's goods, with Canada exporting $78.6 billion worth of automotive products to the US in 2025, nearly all of which is used in vehicles assembled in the US. The US has applied a 25% tariff on non-US content in Canadian-built vehicles since April 2025.
Ontario Premier Ford warned that while a trade war would harm both countries, it 'would definitely be devastating' to the US auto industry due to Canada's significant role as a supplier of parts. The current tariffs are set to double to 50% from January 2027.