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The online retail giant refuted a report from Punchbowl News that said Amazon would show how Trump's tariffs are raising prices on many goods. The political news website reported that Amazon would "display how much of an item’s cost is derived from tariffs – right next to the product's total listed price" at checkout.
Amazon said the idea was only floated for the company's platform that aims to compete with Chinese bargain retailers Shein and Temu.
"The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products," the company posted on social media. "This was never approved and is not going to happen."
The display would have made it clearer to shoppers how Trump's tariff policies affect prices. Trump has slapped 145% tariffs on imports from China and a 10% minimum duty on many other countries.
Punchbowl's report on Tuesday, April 29, drew quick criticism from the Trump administration. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Amazon's idea was a "hostile and political act," an accusation repeated by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in an interview on CNBC.
Trump directly called Bezos after hearing about the report, CNN reported.
"Jeff Bezos was very nice," Trump told reporters. "He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly. Good guy."
One senior official told CNN that the president was "pissed." He also reportedly said, "Why should a multibillion-dollar company pass off costs to consumers?"
Like other tech billionaires, Bezos has been criticized for his close ties to Trump. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund and is producing a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump.
Some rival retailers have already made changes in response to Trump's tariffs. Temu now lists an import fee at checkout, while Shein has also cited tariff-related price increases.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraged the transparency.
"Every big business should show customers how much Trump's tariffs are hurting their pocketbooks," Sen. Schumer posted on Bluesky. "People deserve to know the impact of the tariffs on their everyday costs."
Bezos' net worth has dropped $30 billion since January, partly due to Trump's tariffs and stock market losses, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index.
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