Former minister of infrastructure and communities Amarjeet Sohi was named natural resources minister on Wednesday, taking over the department from Jim Carr, who was named minister for international trade diversification.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet shuffle, which saw two ministries rebranded to address diversifying trade and promoting Canadian exports, moved six existing ministers to new portfolios and promoted five other MPs to the federal cabinet.

Carr’s new portfolio, renamed from international trade, is a nod to current trade tensions with the United States. He will be charged with promoting the Canada-European Union trade agreement to other E.U. countries that have not yet ratified it, and restart efforts to create a trade agreement with China.

In addition, Mary Ng, a first-term MP for Markham-Thornhill who was elected in 2017, was named minister for small business and export promotion.

"There is certainly a level of clarity for Canadians, for businesses, for everyone across this country that we need to diversify our markets. We need to ensure that we are not as dependent on the United States," Trudeau told reporters following the shuffle.

In the face of the United States’ tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products, the federal government promised a $2-billion funding package in late June to help the country’s steel and aluminum producers become more innovative and export their products to other markets.

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In a press release, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) said it had “valued” the relationship it had with Carr and his work on developing the Minerals and Metals Strategy.

“MAC looks forward to working with Minister Sohi towards the finalization and launch of this pan-Canadian strategy,” the association said, “knowing that he brings to this portfolio a strong knowledge of the critical importance of new infrastructure to attracting new mining investment.”

Other moves include moving Dominic LeBlanc to head up the ministry of intergovernmental and northern affairs, which will put him in charge of relations with the provinces – newly complicated by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s so-far combative stance with the feds.

Replacing LeBlanc as minister for Fisheries and Oceans is Vancouver MP Jonathan Wilkinson, who was previously the deputy minister for environment and climate change.

Environment minister Catherine McKenna, Crown-Indigenous relations minister Carolyn Bennett and foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland all retained their positions.

Formal mandate letters detailing the new ministers’ responsibilities have not yet been released.