Amazon backs off plans to show Trump tariffs fees when checkout after presidential pressure
Amazon has backed off reported plans to show Trump's expenses for Chinese goods at checkout after Trump directly called founder Jeff Bezos and keenly condemned from the White House.
Amazon has considered listing 145% of the price Trump has caused for new prices for Chinese imports, according to a Punchbowl News report. The additional expenses are said to appear next to the total price on site, effectively demonstrating the consumer burden of the ongoing trade war.
But the idea quickly disappeared after the White House marked it as “hostile and political act.” “When the Biden administration has raised inflation to its highest levels in 40 years, why doesn't Amazon do that?” News Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing.
According to CNN, President Trump was “angry” about the idea in the first 100 days of his tenure and directly called it Bezos. Not long after, Amazon turned the course around.
“He solved the problem quickly and he did the right thing,” Trump told reporters. “He is a good guy.”
Amazon spokesman Tim Doyle told the Washington Post (owned by Bezos) that the proposal “has never been a consideration for Amazon’s major website” and was only explored loosely in the company’s discount platform Haul. He added: “Even if the proposal was never approved, it would not happen.”
Amazon stock, which fell earlier in the day, rebounded to $187.80 in New York trading after the company refused plans.
The bank highlighted a tense political climate around Trump's aggressive trade policy, which included a 145% tariff on Chinese imports and prompted a retaliation of 125% in Beijing. While the Trump administration insists that China will bear the brunt, critics believe that American consumers will eventually pay.
Asked whether Amazon reported moves emphasize that tariffs hurt Americans more than China, Levitt replied: “This is another reason Americans should buy Americans.”
Finance Minister Scott Bessent responded to the government's boundaries: “China's tariffs are unsustainable.
Amazon, which relies on more than half of the third-party market for Chinese sellers, has faced cost pressure and seller uncertainty. Reports show that many suppliers soared at import costs, thus withdrawing from Amazon’s golden day in July.
Meanwhile, other e-commerce giants have more transparent impact on tariffs. Both Chinese platforms Shein and Temu have added a lot of surcharges at checkout, and Temu now shows a 145% “in and out fee” per item.
Despite the production of a documentary about Melania Trump, some people think it is a charm offensive, Amazon remains in the White House crosshairs.
“This is undoubtedly an hostile and political action by Amazon,” Levitt concluded, refuting any suggestions for the thawing of the relationship with Bezos.
