White House: Amazon Tariff Costs Display is ‘Hostile and Political’/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Amazon’s announcement that it will include the price of tariffs on the pricetag for products is a hostile act. Leavitt said she had just spoken to President Donald Trump about the Amazon announcement and that his message about it was: “This is a hostile and political act by Amazon.” The move highlights growing friction between major retailers and President Trump amid escalating trade tensions. Amazon’s decision comes as sellers brace for impacts from Trump’s steep tariffs on Chinese goods.
Amazon Tariff Pricing Clash: Quick Looks
- White House decries Amazon’s plan to list tariff costs.
- Trump’s 145% China tariffs heavily impact Amazon sellers.
- Prime Day participation could drop amid import challenges.
- Major retailers warn tariffs could disrupt supply chains.
- Amazon says only a small fraction of items increased prices.
- Sellers weigh raising prices or absorbing extra costs.
White House: Amazon Tariff Costs Display is ‘Hostile and Political’
Deep Look
White House Criticizes Amazon’s Move to Display Tariff Costs
WASHINGTON — Tensions between the Trump administration and major U.S. retailers escalated Tuesday as Amazon’s reported plan to display tariff breakdowns alongside product prices drew sharp rebuke from the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted the online retail giant’s plan as a “hostile and political act,” highlighting the growing rift between President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies and corporate America.
A Tariff Breakdown Could Hurt Trump’s Narrative
Amazon reportedly intends to soon show shoppers how much tariffs are inflating the price of individual goods, according to Punchbowl News. The move comes as Trump’s sweeping 145% tariffs on Chinese imports are set to hit Amazon particularly hard — about 60% of the platform’s sales stem from small businesses that often rely heavily on imported products.
Retail giants Walmart, Target, and Home Depot have also raised alarms recently, warning that Trump’s tariff strategy could wreak havoc on supply chains, lead to empty shelves, and drive up consumer prices.
The pressure from major retailers reportedly coincided with a slight softening of the administration’s tone regarding trade negotiations with China.
Prime Day and Seller Anxiety
Amazon’s iconic “Prime Day” event could see a noticeable pullback this year as sellers react to soaring import costs. According to Reuters, some vendors plan to hold inventory back for later sales at full price rather than discounting during Prime Day.
Amazon, for its part, said it is seeing a “strong response” from sellers ahead of Prime Day. Still, uncertainty looms as sellers scramble to relocate production to markets facing lower tariffs, a shift that temporarily increases prices.
Sellers Forced to Make Tough Choices
Many sellers now face a tough decision: absorb the rising costs or pass them directly onto consumers. CNBC reports that approximately 900 products on Amazon saw a 29% average price hike since April 9.
However, Amazon contends that the number of affected items remains small, noting that fewer than 1% of products experienced price increases based on its internal review.
Amazon CEO Weighs In
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently addressed the issue, acknowledging that third-party sellers are likely to pass tariff costs on to shoppers. Jassy said the company is working to minimize the impacts by buying inventory in advance and renegotiating terms with suppliers. But he admitted that price hikes are inevitable under current conditions.
“We’ll try to keep prices as low as possible for customers,” Jassy told CNBC, “but the reality is sellers may have no choice but to adjust.”
The standoff signals a broader challenge for Trump’s trade agenda as businesses push back against policies they argue could ultimately hurt American consumers.
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