Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had discussed the move with the president and claimed it represented "another reason why Americans should buy American"
The White House has hit back against a reported plan by tech giant Amazon to detail the price impact of Donald Trump's trade tariffs to its customers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Amazon's reported plan to display the breakdown of how much tariffs are adding to the price of each good as a "hostile and political act" on Tuesday.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had discussed the move with the president and claimed it represented "another reason why Americans should buy American". With consumers’ concerns growing about the impact of tariffs on costs, the e-commerce giant has decided to display the amount Trump’s aggressive policy will add to the price of products on its website, Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday.
While it may help consumers understand where the costs are coming from, it has angered Trump, a recent ally of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
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Leavitt stated that the news was “not a surprise,” referencing a Reuters report from December 2021—which she referred to as “recently reported”—that alleged Amazon had “partnered with a China propaganda arm.” She added, “This is yet another reason why Americans should prioritize buying American.”
In response to the original report, Amazon maintained that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, including China.
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Amazon said Tuesday it never considered listing tariffs on its main retail site and nothing was implemented on any company site. "The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store has considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products," a company spokesperson said.
The comments sent Amazon shares down 2.2% in premarket trading but shares rebounded are trading nearly flat. Trump has imposed a tsunami of tariffs on US trading partners, including China, which has seen tariff costs rise by 145% since Trump took office.
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Since his election victory in November, Bezos has appeared to warm up to Trump—donating $1 million to his inaugural fund, attending the inauguration, and steering The Washington Post’s editorial direction toward defending personal freedoms and free markets.
As recently as this week, Trump praised Bezos and other billionaire supporters, saying they “have been great.”
However, tensions may be rising following Amazon’s decision to be transparent about pricing in response to Trump’s unpopular tariffs. Amazon, like many large retailers, is bracing for the effects of the administration’s 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods. These tariffs are expected to hit independent sellers—who account for around 60 percent of Amazon’s sales—especially hard. While Trump has claimed to be in talks with China to reduce some of the tariffs, no formal negotiations or announcements have yet materialized.
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While it may help consumers understand where the costs are coming from, it has angered Trump, a recent ally of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
ALSO READ: Complete tax cut in US soon? President Trump again drops big hint on its elimination through tariffs
'Hostile, political act'
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday morning after speaking with the president. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt added.Leavitt stated that the news was “not a surprise,” referencing a Reuters report from December 2021—which she referred to as “recently reported”—that alleged Amazon had “partnered with a China propaganda arm.” She added, “This is yet another reason why Americans should prioritize buying American.”
In response to the original report, Amazon maintained that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, including China.
ALSO READ: Trump sparks massive outrage over 'embarrassing' behaviour at Pope Francis's funeral. Here's what happened
Amazon denies report
Amazon.com denied a report on Tuesday that it planned to disclose the cost that U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump were adding to its products, after the White House blasted the initial story, reported news agency Reuters.Amazon said Tuesday it never considered listing tariffs on its main retail site and nothing was implemented on any company site. "The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store has considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products," a company spokesperson said.
The comments sent Amazon shares down 2.2% in premarket trading but shares rebounded are trading nearly flat. Trump has imposed a tsunami of tariffs on US trading partners, including China, which has seen tariff costs rise by 145% since Trump took office.
ALSO READ: '100 days of destruction': Elon Musk's alliance with Trump cost him $113,000,000,000 as he nears 130-day DOGE stint
Since his election victory in November, Bezos has appeared to warm up to Trump—donating $1 million to his inaugural fund, attending the inauguration, and steering The Washington Post’s editorial direction toward defending personal freedoms and free markets.
As recently as this week, Trump praised Bezos and other billionaire supporters, saying they “have been great.”
However, tensions may be rising following Amazon’s decision to be transparent about pricing in response to Trump’s unpopular tariffs. Amazon, like many large retailers, is bracing for the effects of the administration’s 145 percent tariffs on Chinese goods. These tariffs are expected to hit independent sellers—who account for around 60 percent of Amazon’s sales—especially hard. While Trump has claimed to be in talks with China to reduce some of the tariffs, no formal negotiations or announcements have yet materialized.
