White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Amazon “hostile” based on a rumor that its site will adjust to show how tariffs affect the total cost of a product. The statement comes just hours after a report from Punchbowl News suggested that the e-commerce giant will display the added fees right next to a product’s price.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” Leavitt said during a press conference on Tuesday. “It’s not a surprise, because as Reuters recently wrote, Amazon is partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm.” The article Leavitt is referring to was published in 2021.
In a statement to The Verge, Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said the company only considered showing the cost of tariffs on items sold through Haul, its hub for ultra-cheap products shipped directly from China — not on its main website. “The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,” Doyle said. “This was never approved and is not going to happen.”
Trump’s sweeping tariffs are affecting retailers across the globe, with many Amazon sellers raising their prices or deciding not to participate in Prime Day, as reported by CNBC and Reuters. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Volkswagen told dealers it planned to add an “import fee” to the stickers on its cars affected by tariffs.
Low-cost retailers like Shein and Temu have also announced that they are raising their prices in response to the levies.
Update, April 29th: Added a statement from Amazon and more information about the Reuters story.
