Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked Kirsten Hillman to stay on as Canada’s ambassador to Washington and take on the role as chief negotiator in tense trade and security talks with the Trump administration.

Many Liberals and observers had expected after the election that the Prime Minister would replace Ms. Hillman, who has served in the Washington embassy since 2017, six of those years as ambassador.

But the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Sunday that Mr. Carney has not only asked Ms. Hillman to remain as Washington envoy but to become Canada’s top trade interlocutor with President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The Prime Minister has named her Canada’s chief negotiator. This aligns Ambassador Hillman as the counterpart to the U.S. Trade Representative in our bilateral talks,” press secretary Emily Williams told The Globe and Mail. “This expanded role is in addition to her ongoing commitment to serve as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States.”