US ambassador incoming

Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped former Michigan congressman and Netherlands ambassadorPete Hoekstra to be US ambassador to Canada.

In a statement on the pick, Trump noted his campaign won Michigan “sizably” and gave a nod to Hoekstra’s contributions. He touched on free trade, stating that his administration “overhauled the disastrous NAFTA agreement” and created a “level playing field” in trade with Canada and Mexico – a potentially positive sign that Trump thinks the replacement USMCA is a good deal.

The mention of free trade in Trump’s statement will catch attention in Canada, where the government is keeping a close eye on the incoming president’s promise to levy across-the-board tariffs – which Canada deeply prefers to avoid. Trump says Hoekstra will help him “once again put AMERICA FIRST,” but it’s not clear what that will mean for one his country’s largest trading partners.

Former US ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman told GZERO that Hoekstra is an experienced ambassador who knows both Trump and Congress — and an insider who Canada will need to get the “straight scoop” and “lay of the land” in Washington.

Heyman points out that Hoekstra’s border-state origins means he understands the US-Canada relationship, which is good news given the need to navigate coming changes. Moreover, Heyman said that the early naming of an ambassador to Canada “shows the importance of the relationship” between the two countries.

In the coming months, that relationship may be put to the test and Canada will likely welcome any help or advantage it can get.