Amazon denied reports that it plans to display the cost of U.S. tariffs next to the total price of products listed on the website.
The White House on April 29 issued a rebuke against Amazon and the alleged move, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters that the online retail titan is engaging in a “hostile and political act.”
“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked during the press briefing.
“This is another reason why Americans should buy American.”
However, Amazon said that it never considered disclosing tariff-related information on its main retail website and that nothing was ever incorporated.
“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,” Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
When asked if Amazon’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, is still a supporter of President Donald Trump, Leavitt said she would not discuss the president’s relationship with him.
“But I will tell you that this is certainly a hostile and political action by Amazon,” she said.
Bezos donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee and has praised the president’s efforts to lower taxes and reduce burdensome regulations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was present at the briefing, noted that the Trump administration’s chief priority has been to lower inflation that occurred under President Joe Biden.
“We are doing peace deals, trade deals, tax deals, and deregulating. And the deregulation is a longer lead time, but I think by the third and fourth quarter, that’s really going to kick in,” Bessent said.
Since the president’s sweeping tariffs earlier this month, prices on Amazon’s marketplace have risen, particularly for items made in China.
Shein and Temu, two China-based fast fashion titans, have also inserted hefty surcharges on their products.
Temu added “import charges” of about 145 percent in response to Trump’s levies.
“Items imported into the U.S. may be subject to import charges,” Temu said on its website. “These charges cover all customs-related processes and costs, including import fees paid to customs authorities on your behalf. The amount listed may not represent the actual amount paid to customs authorities.”
Shein announced earlier this month that it would start making “price adjustments” beginning April 25.
“Due to recent changes in global trade rules and tariffs, our operating expenses have gone up,” Shein said in a statement. “To keep offering the products you love without compromising on quality, we will be making price adjustments starting April 25, 2025.”
On April 2, the president signed an executive order ending the de minimis exemption for low-value imports from China and Hong Kong. The trade loophole—often exploited by retailers such as Temu and Shein—allowed packages valued under $800 to enter the United States duty-free. As of May 2, these packages will either face a 120 percent tax rate or pay a flat fee starting at $100.
Shares of Amazon fell by about 0.6 percent in early trading on Tuesday.
The company is scheduled to release its first-quarter earnings report on May 1 after the market closes. Market watchers widely expect the tech behemoth to discuss tariff-related plans in the quarterly earnings call with analysts and shareholders.
