Amazon rejects tariff cost display plan and draws fire from Trump's team

Amazon has confirmed that it will not implement a feature showing how much of a product's price is due to import tariffs.

The clarification came after Punchbowl News reported that the company's budget storefront, Haul, was preparing to add such a display.

However, Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle stated, "This idea was considered internally but never approved and is not going to happen."

Haul, launched last year to sell low-cost products under $20, was designed to compete with Chinese platforms like Temu and Shein.

While internal discussions did take place, Amazon emphasized that there are no plans to move forward with tariff disclosures — a topic that has become increasingly sensitive amid rising import duties and global trade tensions.

Trump administration lashes out over perceived political messaging

Despite Amazon's denial, the Trump administration reacted strongly.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reported plan a "hostile and political act," adding, "Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm."

She told reporters she had "just got off the phone with the president about Amazon's announcement."

Tensions between Jeff Bezos and Trump have long simmered, despite Bezos attending Trump's inauguration in 2017.

Meanwhile, economists warn that the tariffs introduced under Trump's policies are likely to raise consumer prices and intensify inflationary pressures. Several major retailers, including Temu and Shein, have already increased prices in response.

Amazon's refusal to display tariff costs comes amid growing tensions over Trump's aggressive trade policy, which has already pushed many Chinese Amazon sellers to either hike prices or consider leaving the US market entirely.