Amazon denies plan to display U.S. tariff costs after White House criticism

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 says it’s not planning to display added tariff costs next to product prices on its site — despite a report that sparked speculation the e-commerce giant would soon show the new import charges, and the White House’s fiery comments denouncing the purported change.

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.

And even those talks were limited. Only Amazon’s Haul service — its 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.”

Earlier Tuesday, Punchbowl News had reported that Amazon planned to start showing how much of each product’s cost derived from tariffs “right next to” its total listed price, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

The Trump administration was quick to criticize news of the potential move. At a briefing with reporters earlier in the day, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Amazon of taking a “hostile and political act” — and further attacked the company by suggesting it had “partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm,” citing a 2021 Reuters report that Amazon has denied.

“So, this is another reason why Americans should buy American,” Leavitt said, underscoring the Trump administration’s efforts to shore up critical supply chains and boost domestic manufacturing.

The confusion initially prompted a 2% drop in Amazon shares, which later recovered and were up slightly in afternoon trading.

A source familiar with the matter, who spoke of the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the president also called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to complain about the reported plans Tuesday morning.