Between the White House and Amazon there is fresh spat brewing.
White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday accusing the online retail giant of being “hostile and political” and said the company will begin to display the exact cost of tariff-related price increases along with its products, citing a report from Punchbowl News (which Amazon disputed).
Displaying import fees would have made it clear to American consumers that they are responsible for the costs of President Trump's tariff policy, not China.
An Amazon spokesperson said the company had a similar idea at Amazon Haul, part of its site. Temu has started displaying “import fees” to reflect the end of customs loopholes that have been shipped directly to consumers and exempt low-cost items from customs duties.
“The team always discusses ideas,” spokesman Ty Rogers said in a statement. He said he didn't consider the main Amazon site, adding, “This will never be approved and will not be happening.”
Standing beside Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent during a briefing at the White House Tuesday morning, Levitt was torn apart by a retailer. She said she had just called the president about the report, but asked why Amazon didn't do that when prices rose during the Biden administration due to inflation.
Levitt said he was “not a surprise” from Amazon as he found a copy of the 2021 article from Reuters, saying “Amazon is affiliated with Chinese propaganda arms.”
Trump's aggressive tariffs on Chinese products intensified the trade war despite retreating the broader global collection amid what his administration says is negotiations with dozens of countries on new trade transactions.
Leavitt's attack on Amazon was even more noteworthy as the company's founder, Jeff Bezos, spent quite a bit of time recently gaining Curry's favor at the White House. Amazon has donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund and reserved seating for Bezos and his bride to take office.
In December, Bezos explained the move to Trump while speaking at the New York Times dealbook conference. “What I've seen so far is that he's more calm than he's the first time,” Bezos said of Trump.
He added, “I'm very hopeful. He seems to have a lot of energy in reducing regulations.”
Levitt was asked if the White House considers Bezos a Trump supporter, considering the latest report.
“Look, I'm not going to talk about the president's relationship with Jeff Bezos,” Levitt said.
