Majority of Americans Oppose Trump's New Canada Tariffs, Lake America Rename

A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on Canadian goods and his decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released.

President Donald Trump's new tariffs on Canadian goods and his decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” face opposition from a majority of Americans, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The three-day nationwide poll of 1,023 US adults found that 57% opposed additional tariffs on Canadian goods, compared with 20% who supported them and 21% who said they did not know or were unsure. 

Americans were even more opposed to Trump's Lake Ontario name change. Only 14% supported the change, while 63% opposed it. 

The poll comes as relations between the United States and Canada have deteriorated following the collapse of trade negotiations. Washington has imposed additional 50% tariffs on certain Canadian products, while Canada has announced retaliatory measures. 

The dispute has economic as well as political consequences.

Canada is one of the United States' largest trading partners, and businesses on both sides of the border face higher costs and uncertainty as the tariff dispute continues.

Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27 directing the US government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

The order instructs the Interior Department and the US Board on Geographic Names to update the federal government's geographic records.

It does not require Canada, international organizations or other jurisdictions to adopt the new name. 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also found that 68% of Americans favored the United States making tradeoffs with Canada to reach an agreement, compared with 25% who preferred taking a tougher stance and insisting on getting most of what the United States wants. 

With the November 3 midterm elections approaching, the poll suggests Trump's trade confrontation with Canada is unpopular with a majority of Americans, although polling does not by itself predict how the issue will affect individual races.