Premier David Eby has announced the creation of a new cabinet committee to protect British Columbia's economy against Donald Trump's tariff threat.
The "war room" will be led by Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon.
"The proposed US tariffs are a direct attack on BC's families," Eby said in a statment. "This threat isn't going away anytime soon — not while this president is in power."
He noted that while every minister "has an important role to play in fighting back," Kahlon "brings deep experience in government to the table and is uniquely positioned to co-ordinate this work across government ministries."
The other members of the committee include Jobs Minister Diana Gibson, Finance Minister Diana Gibson, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey, Energy Minister Adrian Dix, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham, Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill, State Trade Minister Rick Glumac, Forest Minister Ravi Parmar, Mining Minister Jagrup Brar, and Environment Minister Tamara Davidson.
"We didn't ask for this fight, but BC will not be bullied," Kahlon said. "My colleagues and I will work shoulder to shoulder with workers, business and community leaders to meet this moment."
The government has revealed a three-point strategy to combat Trump's tariffs. Officials will implement "tough counter-actions and outreach to American decision-makers," work to "strengthen BC's economy by expediting projects and supporting industry and workers," and "diversify trade markets for products so British Columbia is less reliant on US markets and customers."
Trump has claimed that the 25% tariffs will be implemented on February 1.
Eby warned that the results could be disastrous for British Columbians, potentially worse than the 2008 recession.
Bailey recently explained that, were the president to go forward and enact a 25% tariff for the duration of his term, the province's real GDP would experience a cumulative loss of around $69 billion by 2028.
In regards to employment, there would be an estimated 128,000 fewer jobs by 2028, with an increase in the unemployment rate from 6.7% to 7.1%. Corporate profits were projected to result in losses of between $3.6 billion and $6.2 billion annually, with government revenue falling by anywhere from $1.6 billion to $2.5 billion per year.