Amazon in White House Crosshairs Over Report of Displaying Tariff Costs
Amazon denied a report claiming it planned to display U.S. import tariffs on product listings, clarifying that the idea was briefly considered only for its budget-focused Haul platform.
The Seattle retailer spent a chaotic morning denying a report from Punchbowl News that it planned to display prices showing tariffs’ impact on Amazon.com. Amazon acknowledged it had considered the idea for certain inexpensive China-made products on Haul but then rejected the plan.
“The team that runs our ultra-low-cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and is not going to happen,” a company spokesperson said, adding that “teams discuss ideas all the time.”
The confusion initially prompted a 2% drop in Amazon shares after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reported pricing plan “a hostile and political act by Amazon.”
Amazon’s Haul site, which debuted in November, is particularly susceptible to tariffs because it is dependent on goods shipped directly from China. President Donald Trump has imposed significant tariffs on U.S. trading partners, including China, which has seen tariff costs rise by 145% since Trump took office.
The White House criticism came amid a backdrop of Trump’s frequent criticism of Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos during his presidency. However, in a March interview, Trump said of Bezos, “He’s 100 percent. He’s been great.”
The controversy surrounding Amazon’s tariff policies highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. government and major retailers over trade policies and their impact on consumers.
