‘Hostile and political act’: White House clashes with Amazon over idea to disclose tariff costs
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The White House on Tuesday blasted Amazon over a proposal to show the cost of President Trump’s tariffs next to the price of some products on its e-commerce site.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a news conference. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?”
Amazon said in a statement that its team that runs Amazon Haul, where people can find low-cost items, considered listing import charges on some items but the suggestion “was never approved and is not going to happen.“ Amazon Haul features items as low as $2.99 along with other discounts.
The White House’s remarks came after Punchbowl News reported that the Seattle-based company was planning to show the cost of Trump’s tariffs on its e-commerce site.
The public spat between the White House and Amazon underscores the backlash the Trump administration faces over tariffs imposed on various countries including China.
While major tech companies including Amazon, Meta, Google and Apple have been trying to strengthen ties with Trump by touting investments they’re making in the United States, uncertainty over tariffs and regulation have also rattled the tech industry.
Trump placed tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese imports, a move that has prompted some merchants who sell goods made in China from providing discounts as part of Amazon Prime Day, Reuters reported.
In April, when Trump announced that his administration planned to impose a baseline 10% tariff on imports from all countries, tech industry trade groups warned that the move would drive up the cost of consumer electronics, including Apple’s iPhone.
The Trump administration’s tariffs will significantly hurt Silicon Valley tech companies like Apple, which has manufacturing operations in China, Vietnam and India.
The White House said that it’s imposing tariffs to bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States and that relying too much on foreign producers could threaten economic security.
Trump then said he would exempt some electronics such as laptops and smartphones from tariffs.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment but appears to have resolved tensions with Amazon. Trump told reporters later on Tuesday that he had a “great” call with Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos.
“He solved a problem very quickly. And he did the right thing, and he’s a good guy,” Trump said.
Amazon’s stock dropped after the White House’s remarks, but jumped back up after the company said it wouldn’t go through with the idea. Amazon’s stock price dropped slightly on Tuesday to close at $187.39.
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