This seems to be pretty political, honestly. Early today, Karoline Leavitt slammed Amazon for a plan to list how much tariffs raised prices of particular products. Amazon then claimed it never planned to do this. Then, they had to walk that back and admit maybe they had planned it for a section of their sales platform, but it was just in talks and never approved. Keep your eye on this story!
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Amazon for being a “China-aligned company” after a report indicated that the e-retailer planned to place a tariff surcharge label on products — a move she called a “hostile, political act.”
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” Leavitt said at a Tuesday press conference at the White House, according to Fox News. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?”
Leavitt said she “just got off the phone” with President Trump about Amazon’s announcement, though she added that she “will not speak to the president’s relationships with [company founder] Jeff Bezos.
Karoline Leavitt holds a news article on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos that reads “Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm” during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
The label, which informs customers of additional charges due to new US tariffs on Chinese imports, has sparked controversy amid escalating trade tensions with Beijing.
WH @PressSec on Amazon's decision to display how much of an item's cost comes from tariffs: "This is a hostile and political act by Amazon."
It's not a coincidence when you search Amazon now most of the results are junk weird brands you've never heard of. Half of the top 3rd-party sellers are now Chinese companies courted by Amazon -- a deliberate strategy that screwed main street and helped move production overseas https://t.co/WnKvPOSU20
Chalk this up to the Trump Administration knowing how to use the bully pulpit effectively! We love to see it!
Amazon said Tuesday it considered displaying import charges on items sold via its site for ultra-discount 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
Apparently, the Trump Administration knows how to handle Jeff Bezos and crew.
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