Amazon says displaying tariff cost ‘not going to happen’ after White House blowback
Packages with the logo of Amazon are transported at a packing station of a redistribution center of Amazon in Horn-Bad Meinberg, western Germany, on Dec. 9, 2024.
Ina Fassbender | Afp | Getty Images
Amazon said Tuesday it considered displaying import charges on items sold via its site for ultradiscount items, but that the plan “was never approved and not going to happen.”
The move would have affected items sold on Haul, Amazon’s answer to Chinese discount retailer Temu, which offers apparel, home goods and other items priced at $20 or less. Haul, which Amazon launched last year, is separate from its main storefront.
“The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,” Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle said in a statement. “This was never approved and is not going to happen.”
Amazon weighed adding a separate line item to products on Haul in response to President Donald Trump’s removal of the de minimis trade loophole, according to a source familiar with the matter. The consideration was not related to Trump’s 145% tariff on imports from China, they added.
Punchbowl News reported earlier on Tuesday that Amazon would “soon” begin displaying the cost of tariffs alongside the price of each product, citing a source familiar with the company’s plans.
The report drew the ire of the White House, which called Amazon’s reported plans a “hostile and political act.”
“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asked.
After Amazon clarified its statement, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in an X post called it a “good move.”
Trump personally called Jeff Bezos on Tuesday morning to express his displeasure about the Punchbowl report that spurred the heated response from the White House, a source familiar with the call told NBC News.
Bezos, Amazon’s founder and top shareholder, has tried to establish a friendly rapport with President Donald Trump in the lead-up to and during Trump’s second term in office. Bezos dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and stood alongside top tech executives at Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Amazon, for its part, donated to Trump’s inaugural fund, and spent a reported $40 million to license a documentary about first lady Melania Trump.
Amazon and other retailers are digesting the effect of Trump’s new tariffs. Earlier this month, Amazon began reaching out to its vast network of third-party sellers to gauge how the tariffs are affecting their logistics, product sourcing and operations. Some sellers have already raised prices and cut back on advertising spend as they confront higher import costs. Earlier this month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told CNBC that sellers would likely “need to pass that cost” of tariffs on to consumers.
Discount e-tailers Temu and Shein last week implemented price hikes across most items on their sites, and Temu has added “import charges” ranging between 130% and 150% on some products.
— NBC News’ Garrett Haake contributed reporting to this story.
