A majority of Americans oppose President Donald Trump's decision to increase tariffs on Canadian goods and rename Lake Ontario, according to a poll.
The survey, conducted jointly by news agency Reuters and market research firm Ipsos, was released on Wednesday. It revealed widespread public concern over the escalating commercial dispute between the United States and Canada, which share the longest international border in the world. The three-day poll concluded on Sunday following the breakdown of bilateral trade negotiations.
Only 20 percent of respondents said they supported higher tariffs on Canadian products. In contrast, 57 percent of participants disapproved of the measures, while 21 percent stated they had no opinion on the matter. Roughly one in five people surveyed said they had not been informed about the trade developments.
Widespread opposition to tariff increases
Canada has been one of the primary trade partners of the United States for decades, with agricultural, industrial and consumer goods moving across the border daily under long-standing North American economic agreements. The trade dispute escalated after negotiations between American and Canadian representatives ended without a deal, leading Trump to impose higher tariffs.
The economic tension comes at a time when American households are already facing financial pressure from rising gasoline prices. Fuel costs have increased steadily across the country since Trump launched the military conflict in Iran in February.
Voters in the United States rank the cost of living as the primary issue that will determine how they vote in the midterm elections on November 3. Congressional midterm elections, held midway through a presidential term, determine control of the United States House of Representatives and the Senate.
The public reaction to the trade dispute comes as Trump's overall popularity rating in recent weeks has fallen to the lowest level of his political career.
Lake Ontario renaming controversy
The commercial conflict took a dramatic turn last week when Trump announced on Thursday that Lake Ontario would be renamed Lake America. The new name is intended for official federal use within the United States and does not alter how the body of water is designated by Canada or international bodies.
Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the five Great Lakes of North America, bounded by the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and the US state of New York to the south. The body of water, which connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River, has carried its name for more than 400 years. Trump has repeatedly mocked Canada in public remarks and raised the prospect of annexing the neighbouring nation to make it the 51st state of the union.
The survey found that only 14 percent of Americans supported changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America. A majority of 63 percent opposed the change, while the remaining respondents were undecided or declined to answer.
Survey details and methodology
The survey was conducted online in English across the entire United States, gathering responses from a representative national sample of 1,023 adult citizens. Polling firm Ipsos reported that the survey results have a credibility interval and margin of error of four percentage points.
