Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean welcomed four new ambassadors to Canada, including David Jacobson of the United States, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday morning. (CBC)

The new U.S. ambassador to Canada says the issues that will dominate the relationship between the two nations will be trade, border security and energy and the environment.

"There is a unique relationship between the United States and Canada — largest trading partner, the largest supplier of foreign energy, one of our strongest allies in the world — and the issues here are very important to the United States," David Jacobson told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa on Friday morning.

Jacobson, who said the position was his first choice and who plans to visit each province over the next six weeks, said the two countries will also be concerned with a variety of issues with respect to foreign policy.

Earlier, Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean rolled out the welcome mat for four new ambassadors to Canada.

At a ceremony at Rideau Hall, Jean received the ambassadors' credentials for Jacobson, Farid Shafiyev of Azerbaijan, Else Berit Eikeland of Norway and Matthias Brinkmann of the European Commission.

The CBC's Margo McDiarmid said it was significant that U.S. President Barack Obama appointed someone who has worked for him and is a close ally.

'Critical diplomatic role'

"This is a critical diplomatic role," she said, adding Jacobson is "someone who can help to smooth out those differences and in particular those trade differences," such as the ongoing concern over the "Buy American" clause in the U.S. government's economic stimulus package.

The "Buy American" provision gives priority to U.S. iron, steel and other manufactured goods for use in public works and building projects funded with recovery money.

Jacobson touched on the matter during the news conference, saying that he understood Canada's concerns. He said that he knows International Trade Minister Stockwell Day has sent a letter to the U.S. trade representative, offering U.S. firms guaranteed access to procurement contracts, as long as Canada gets a waiver of the "Buy American" provision.

Jacobson said that there have been a number of "constructive" conversations and that he looks forward to participating in those talks.

"Hopefully, we can move this forward in a way that is beneficial to both countries," he said.

Jacobson, who is considered a close adviser to Obama, lobbied for the Canadian job, a source close to the Obama administration told The Canadian Press last June.

Top campaign fundraiser

His appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week.

Since January, Jacobson, 57, served in the White House as special assistant to the president, helping to fill positions in his administration.

Jacobson was also a top Obama campaign fundraiser and served as deputy finance chairman during Obama's election effort.

Jacobson spent 30 years as a partner in the Chicago law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, specializing in trade and ecommerce.

Jacobson, a married father of two, will replace outgoing U.S. ambassador David Wilkins, who took on the role in 2005.

With files from The Canadian Press