WASHINGTON: Amazon.com denied a report on Tuesday that it planned to disclose the cost that U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump were adding to its products, after the White House blasted the initial story.
Amazon said Tuesday it never considered listing tariffs on its main retail site and nothing was implemented on any company site. “The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store has considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,” a company spokesperson said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had discussed the Punchbowl News report with Trump, and his message about it was: “This is a hostile and political act by Amazon.”
The comments sent Amazon shares down 2.2% in premarket trading but shares rebounded are trading nearly flat.
Trump has imposed a tsunami of tariffs on U.S. trading partners, including China, which has seen tariff costs rise by 145% since Trump took office.
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Leavitt said Amazon’s move was not a surprise given a 2021 report by Reuters that the tech company had partnered with a “Chinese propaganda arm.”
The White House tweeted a link to the Reuters report earlier Tuesday.
“So, this is another reason why Americans should buy American,” she said, underscoring the Trump administration’s efforts to shore up critical supply chains and boost domestic manufacturing.
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