MeetInc.
President Donald Trump personally called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Tuesday to express frustration over reports that the company was planning to show the cost of tariffs next to product prices on its website — a move the White House described as “hostile” and “political.”
The call came after a report by Punchbowl News claimed Amazon was preparing to display the portion of an item’s price derived from import tariffs, potentially making the impact of Trump’s trade policies more visible to American consumers. Trump has introduced sweeping new tariffs, including a 145% duty on Chinese imports and a minimum 10% rate on goods from all other countries.
Speaking to reporters after the call, Trump described Bezos as “very nice” and said the issue had been “solved quickly.”
White House officials were reportedly angered by the report. “Of course he was pissed,” one senior official told CNN. “Why should a multibillion dollar company pass off costs to consumers?”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned the idea during a briefing, calling it a “hostile and political act.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick echoed the sentiment, arguing on CNBC that a 10% tariff would not materially impact prices for most products — “except maybe a mango,” he said.
Amazon has since denied that any such change was ever planned for its main site. A spokesperson clarified that the company had discussed the idea of showing import charges on “Haul,” its spinoff site for low-cost items, but confirmed it was never approved or implemented.
Despite the walk-back, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraged companies to be transparent with consumers. “People deserve to know the impact tariffs have on their finances,” he said in a Senate floor speech.
Other e-commerce platforms, including Temu and Shein, have already begun adding import charges to reflect tariff-related costs. Both rely heavily on sourcing from China.
Leavitt also revived a 2021 Reuters report linking Amazon to censorship of Xi Jinping content on its Chinese site, saying it was further evidence of why Americans should “buy American” and support the administration’s supply chain onshoring efforts.
The Trump-Bezos relationship appears to have thawed in recent months. Bezos attended a White House dinner and Amazon has contributed to Trump’s second-term initiatives, including a $1 million donation to his inaugural fund and a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump.
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