The White House sharply criticized Amazon on Tuesday following a report that the e-commerce giant planned to display tariff charges next to product prices.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the alleged move “a hostile and political act,” suggesting it was aimed at politicizing recent trade policy decisions.
According to a report from political news site Punchbowl, Amazon planned to display new tariff costs alongside product listings.
The move would have provided shoppers with clear visibility into import charges, particularly those imposed under the new tariff structure.
Press secretary Leavitt did not hold back in her response, questioning why Amazon hadn’t adopted this approach during periods of record-high inflation. The tone from the White House made it clear that officials viewed the move as an effort to undermine the political narrative around current trade measures.
Amazon Denies Any Implementation Plans
Amazon responded quickly to the report, stating that its Amazon Haul store had merely “considered the idea” of displaying import charges but never finalized such a decision.
Amazon Haul, launched last year, is aimed at offering low-cost imported goods, competing with retailers like Temu and Shein.
Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle made it clear: “This was never approved and is not going to happen.” The company insisted that the notion of labeling tariff charges was explored internally but ultimately dismissed.
Tariffs Under New Trade Measures Already Impacting Prices
Recent trade actions have seen tariffs as high as 145% imposed on goods imported from China, while most other countries are operating under a 10% baseline rate during a 90-day pause.
These import duties, though collected from U.S. businesses such as Walmart and Target, are typically passed on to American consumers through higher retail prices.
The economic effects are already showing. Earlier this month, pricing data indicated that Amazon sellers increased prices on nearly 1,000 of the top 100,000 products listed on the platform. According to SmartScout, a price tracking tool, the average price increase was around 30%.
Amazon Challenges the Price Hike Narrative
In a previous statement to CBS MoneyWatch, Amazon disputed the report’s framing, explaining that the 900-plus products affected represent only 1% of its top-selling catalog.
The company also noted that the most common price hike was just 6%, and that the 30% average was skewed by a small group of products with substantial markups.
Amazon reiterated that it had not seen significant overall price shifts beyond what’s considered normal fluctuation. The company emphasized that it continues to “meet or beat prices” across the vast majority of its listings when compared to other major retailers.
While Amazon walks back from tariff transparency, other businesses are approaching the issue more directly.
For example, Dame, a sexual wellness brand, has begun applying a $5 “Trump tariff surcharge” at checkout. The fee is added automatically, making the cost of import tariffs explicit to the consumer.
