Leaders from the city of Los Angeles and the Port of L.A. held a roundtable on Wednesday morning to discuss the impacts of mass tariffs being levied on foreign nations.

Tariffs on imports from other countries have been one of the defining economic policies from President Donald Trump since he took office in January. Trump has also levied a trade war against China, leading to severe tensions.

Business at home

Officials say the tariffs have already impacted business at local ports, and could reach the wallets of Americans shortly.

During a news conference following Wednesday's roundtable, Mayor Karen Bass said Americans and Angelenos may not realize the impact of tariffs yet, but it's coming.

"[We need] to communicate to Angelenos specifically how this impacts their pocketbook," Bass said. "I think that sometimes this issue seems kind of far away and people don't see the immediate impact because the bottom line is that it's a tax on individuals and their families."

Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka said the port has averaged about five ships in port over the last seven days. Normally, he says, it's about 10-12 per week. Seroka said the difference in business has been noticeable in the last couple of months.

Seroka added that retailers have been uncertain about the amount of money American families will be willing to spend in the upcoming Holiday season, leading to trepidation when it comes to the amount of goods they're ordering for their stores.

City officials say they've been meeting with workers in the importing industry in recent weeks.

"Everyone was saying the same thing," said Councilmember Tim McOsker, who represents L.A.'s 15th District. "That the tariffs have had a negative impact on this economy."

McOsker said thousands of workers, from those who work at the ports to train workers and even those who stock shelves at stores, have "less money in their pockets" as a direct result of tariff policy.

McOsker concluded his remarks by stating that he has yet to hear a valid reason for the imposition of mass tariffs.

"This is a self-inflicted wound. This is an unforced error," McOsker said. "This is a mistake for absolutely no reason."

Trump's reasoning

Despite legal challenges, many of the sweeping tariffs remain in place while the process plays out in the appeals system.

Trump says the tariffs are being used to increase "fairness" in trade, as the U.S. operates on a deficit while trading with other countries, and says he'd like to see companies manufacture goods in the U.S. as opposed to importing.

Still, Trump has acknowledged that the prices of good could still rise.

"Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls," he said in an April 30 Cabinet meeting. "And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally."