White House Slams Amazon Over Tariff Cost Disclosure: Will This Spark New Rift Between Bezos, Trump?

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, citing a report by Punchbowl News on Tuesday, criticised Amazon for reportedly planning to reveal the exact cost of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs alongside its product price. Leavitt questioned the American online retail giant’s failure to follow the similar business strategy during former US President Joe Biden’s term, the New York Times reported.

“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon...Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” said the press secretary, according to a CNBC report.

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This comes at a time when Amazon’s Chinese rival Temu has adopted a similar strategy to make its customers aware of the additional cost borne by them due to tariff hike. The Chinese online retailer shows a line on its checkout showing an “import charge” that adds nearly 145% for each item listed on the e-commerce platform.

Amazon Refutes Allegation 

The report by Punchbowl News, however, is contested by the retail giant. An Amazon spokesperson reportedly said the company had earlier considered the idea for its site, Amazon Haul, but such a business practice was never in consideration for the main website. 

“The team that runs our ultra-low-cost Amazon Haul store has considered listing import charges on certain products...This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site, and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties,” said an Amazon spokesperson. 

While responding to a reporter, according to CNBC, the White House press secretary said if Amazon is planning such a move, it's not a surprise. Leavitt cited a Reuters report, which said that the American retail giant has “partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm”. 

This development at a time when there were speculations that billionaire Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump may forget their past contentions and begin the President’s second term with a blank slate, especially after the Amazon founder congratulated him for his “extraordinary political comeback”. 

“Wishing [Donald Trump] all success in leading and uniting the America we all love,” Bezos said in a post on X.