The White House on Tuesday criticized Amazon following reports that the company plans to inform consumers how much President Donald Trump's tariffs have added to the prices of its products.
"This is a hostile and political act by Amazon," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing in Washington.
"Why didn't Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?" she added.
Earlier Tuesday, Punchbowl News reported that the e-commerce site will soon start showing "how much Trump's tariffs are adding to the price of each product," citing a person familiar with the matter.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.
After taking office in January, Trump slapped a 10% baseline tariff on most countries, along with higher levies on dozens of countries, only to then pause the elevated rates for 90 days to allow for trade talks.
The White House has also imposed steep duties on China, and additional sector-specific measures, leading Beijing to impose its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.
The uncertainty kicked up by the on-again, off-again tariff rollout has shaken financial markets, briefly pushing volatility up to levels not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the endpoint of Trump's tariffs is currently unknown, they are already starting to have an impact on businesses in the United States.
Package delivery giant UPS said Tuesday it plans to cut 20,000 positions worldwide in 2025 following a significant drop in business for Amazon, its largest customer.
UPS Chief Executive Carol Tome said the firm, which had around 490,000 employees at the end of 2024, is taking the actions to "reconfigure" its operations in reaction to a "changing trade environment."
Meanwhile, Amazon said it is not planning to list added tariff costs next to product prices on its site, despite speculation spanning from a report that claimed the e-commerce giant would soon show new import charges.
The Trump administration's reaction appeared to be based on a misinterpretation of internal plans being considered by Amazon, rather than a final decision made by the company.
Amazon's Haul service - a recently launched, low-cost storefront - "considered the idea" of listing import charges on certain products, company spokesperson Tim Doyle said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. But this "was never approved and is not going to happen."
Amazon launched Haul last year to sell electronics, apparel and other products priced under $20, aimed at competing against the success of China-founded rivals like Temu and Shein.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was one of a handful of powerful, ultra-wealthy tech titans who attended Trump's inauguration in January, filling some of the most exclusive seats right behind the president. Whether his relationship with the president has strained since has yet to be seen, and Leavitt declined to comment when asked by reporters Tuesday.
The tariffs imposed by Trump and responding to retaliation from targeted countries, notably China, threaten to increase prices for both consumers and businesses. Economists warned that these import taxes will hike prices for a range of goods consumers buy each day, and lead to worse inflationary pressure.
In recent months, many CEOs and companies have also warned of weaker and uncertain outlooks due to the steep, and at times on-again, off-again, import taxes, adding pressure on the Trump administration. And some big names have already raised prices, including Temu and Shein.
