White House torches Amazon's alleged tariff labels as 'hostile and political' — then company partly denies plans

A Tuesday report from Punchbowl News claimed that Amazon is planning to make an update to its shopping site that would inform consumers about how tariffs have impacted the total cost of items.

The outlet wrote, "Amazon doesn't want to shoulder the blame for the cost of President Donald Trump's trade war."

'I was getting so excited about the Amazon tariff tracker so I could avoid buying anything from China!!'

"So the e-commerce giant will soon show how much Trump's tariffs are adding to the price of each product, according to a person familiar with the plan," it added. "The shopping site will display how much of an item's cost is derived from tariffs — right next to the product's total listed price."

The recent report sparked backlash from President Donald Trump's administration.

During a Tuesday press briefing, a reporter asked press secretary Karoline Leavitt about Amazon's alleged tariff label plan.

"I just got off the phone with the president about Amazon's announcement," Leavitt stated. "This is a hostile and political act by Amazon."

"Why didn't Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?" she questioned. "I would also add that it's not a surprise because, as Reuters recently wrote, Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm."

Leavitt's comment referenced a December 2021 report from Reuters that claimed Amazon had marketed "a collection of President Xi Jinping's speeches and writings on its Chinese website."

"This is another reason why Americans should buy American," she added.

The reporter asked Leavitt whether Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is "still a Trump supporter."

"Look, I will not speak to the president's relationship with Jeff Bezos, but I will tell you that this is certainly a hostile and political action by Amazon," Leavitt responded.

However, an Amazon spokesperson rejected Punchbowl News' reporting.

The representative told ABC News, "The team that runs our ultra low-cost Amazon Haul store has considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products."

"Teams discuss ideas all the time. This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site, and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties," the spokesperson stated.

According to the company's website, Amazon Haul items include "unbelievable finds from $2.99." It explains that to keep prices low, Haul consumers are listed as the item's "importer for customs purposes."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) responded to Amazon's denial of the report.

"Ahhh come on Amazon!!" Greene wrote in a post on X. "I was getting so excited about the Amazon tariff tracker so I could avoid buying anything from China!!"

"Americans want to buy American and you were finally going to give us a way to know which products and companies were selling slave labor made goods from China undercutting our great American made goods," she remarked.

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