White House slams Amazon over plan to display Trump tariff costs to shoppers

Tensions between Amazon and the White House escalated this week after a report revealed the e-commerce giant may soon begin informing customers exactly how much US President Donald Trump's new tariffs are driving up product prices.

The report, published by Punchbowl News and citing an unnamed source familiar with the plan, claimed that Amazon intends to break out tariff-related price increases directly on its website, giving shoppers a clearer view of how the new trade policies are affecting their bills.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly condemned the move, calling it “a hostile and political act” during a Tuesday press briefing.

“Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” she asked, implying that the company’s decision was politically motivated rather than consumer-focused.

Earlier this month, Trump unveiled a sweeping new tariff policy targeting imports from China, a major source of Amazon’s inventory. Since then, online prices have surged, prompting Amazon to pressure its third-party sellers to absorb the added costs instead of passing them on to consumers. Amazon has yet to respond publicly to the White House’s criticism.

“This is another reason why Americans should buy American,” Leavitt added, though Amazon itself is a US-based corporation headquartered in Seattle.

The tariff changes have sent ripples through the broader online retail industry. Just one day before the White House’s comments, discount platforms Temu and Shein began labeling a 145 percent “import charge” in customer checkouts to reflect new duties on Chinese goods.

When pressed on whether the sharp language from the podium reflected a larger falling-out between Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who stepped down as CEO in 2021 but reportedly donated USD 1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund earlier this year, Leavitt declined to comment directly.

“I will not speak to the president’s relationships with Jeff Bezos,” she said.