U.S. imports from China are falling at a rate not seen since the start of the pandemic.

"You gotta kinda worry with the unpredictability, "said Gretchen Blough.

Gretchen Blough, Customs Brokerage Manager at Logistics Plus, has been with the company for over 18 years. She often says, "What the supply chain sees first, the economy follows."

"It's a huge ripple effect, "said Gretchen Blough.

According to Blough, current tariff policies have introduced new layers of complexity into the supply chain landscape.

"People are really scared about, you know, what things are going to cost and what not. They've been trying to get things into the port as quickly as possible, "said Gretchen Blough.

Blough says some customs authorities are taking a "wait and see" approach on U.S.-bound shipments—one of several growing challenges that could impact the broader economy.

"If things aren't on U.S. soil—you know, a ship from China can take 10 weeks or more—so if someone decides they need something really quickly, that's not coming by ocean anytime soon, "said Gretchen Blough.

Gretchen explains that while goods can be shipped by air as an alternative, it comes at a significantly higher cost—further driving up prices.

"You can say 'buy American' all you want, but it takes time to build those factories., "said Gretchen Blough.