Michigan's Pete Hoekstra received bipartisan support with a 60-37 vote from the Senate Wednesday for the U.S. ambassador of Canada.

Hoekstra was serving as the state GOP Party chairman when President Trump nominated him in November for the role. He previously served as a U.S. congressman in Michigan's 2nd District and as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term.

"I am deeply appreciative to President Trump and to the U.S. Senate for their trust and confidence in me. I look forward to beginning my work in Canada and once again serving the people of the United States of America at this important time in the U.S.-Canada relationship," Hoekstra said in a statement.

"Canada is our most valuable trading partner, our largest source of foreign investment, and our largest source of energy imports," Hoekstra added. "We share the longest border in the world – more than 5,500 miles, fostering longstanding friendships between the American and Canadian people.  As Ambassador to Canada, I will work with the Canadian government to review and strengthen our strong trading partnership, secure our borders, confront the deadly threat of fentanyl to our citizens, and build our national security cooperation."

The confirmation comes as the U.S. and Canada are engaged in a trade war over Mr. Trump's tariffs. The president announced 25% tariffs on the country, as well as 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports and foreign-made cars. In response, Canada threatened nearly $21 million in retaliatory tariffs.

Last month, the Canadian government launched an anti-tariff campaign and paid for ads to be displayed in multiple U.S. states, including Michigan.

Eight Senate Democrats, including Michigan Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters, voted in favor of Hoekstra in Wednesday's vote.

Slotkin issued the following statement after the vote:

"Today, I voted to confirm former Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra as our ambassador to Canada. Our relationship with Canada is as threatened as it has ever been in my lifetime, and the reckless tariffs on Canada threaten to raise prices for so many Michigander.  

"So while I disagree with Mr. Hoesktra on a good many issues — and he spent the better part of two years trying to beat me in my Senate race as the as the head of the Michigan Republican Party — my hope is that his first-hand knowledge of Michigan's economy will be the best shot we have at pushing back on the most flagrant of the tariffs on Canada.   

"I appreciate his commitment to an open line of communication and wish him strength to stand up for the economy of his home state."