White House and Amazon go back and forth over tariff pricing on website
White House officials have blasted a reported proposal by Amazon — which the company has denied — to begin including information on its website about the amount of tariffs being applied to goods it sells.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who stepped in to respond to a question directed to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, referred to the alleged move as a “hostile and political act.”
“This is another reason why Americans should buy American,” Leavitt said. “It’s another reason why we’re on-shoring critical supply chains at home, to shore up our own critical supply chains and boost our own manufacturing.”
Reactions to the reported proposal have been varied on social media.
Some view it as an easy way to determine American-manufactured goods on Amazon’s website.
TARIFFS: Many saw Amazon's decision to include the cost of tariffs in product listings as an attack on the White House and the president. I see it differently, now consumers can quickly determine which products are tariff-free AND made right here in the US by American workers. pic.twitter.com/mnmtmhyLBA
— @amuse (@amuse) April 29, 2025
NewsMax host Rob Schmitt felt the move would expose Amazon’s selling practices.
This will backfire.
Amazon buys Chinese trash for $0.70 cents. Pays $0.50 tariff. Sells to you for $18 plus $0.50. Customer realizes they’re buying Chinese trash. https://t.co/cowWJ0T0x5
— Rob Schmitt (@SchmittNYC) April 29, 2025
Others didn’t understand how posting factual information was “hostile.”
Amazon showing tariff costs is only “hostile” if your whole economy is built on lies. If posting facts feels like an attack, maybe your policies suck. Just a thought.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) April 29, 2025
Media commentator Brian Krassenstein doesn’t see why it should stop with Amazon.
I want MAGA to tell me ONE GOOD REASON why Amazon should not put Tariff rates on each product.
I also call on ALL online and offline stores to do the same.
- Grocery stores
- Convenient stores
- Restaurants
- Drug stores
- Etsy
- Ebay
- ShopifyLet's do it. Transparency is… https://t.co/v9w6rhfJv6
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) April 29, 2025
Some people just have questions.
If the tariffs are as good as Felon 47 had routinely bragged about…
Why is he upset that Amazon is displaying tariff costs? pic.twitter.com/YeMVpBgq9f
— Charli Huxley (@ImKnotTheOne) April 29, 2025
Author Carol Roth felt the tariff information was one of several transparency moves Amazon could make.
Amazon *should* show tariff costs.
BUT-- if they are going to take a victory lap on transparency, they need to clean up their own business, such as getting rid of knock-offs, AI slop books and free-riding content, and other crap on their site.
Otherwise it's merely a stunt.
— Carol Roth (@caroljsroth) April 29, 2025
John Fugelsang viewed it as more of a face-saving move by Amazon head Jeff Bezos.
Hi, I wouldn't let my newspaper endorse VP Harris
& wouldn't let the op-ed page criticize Trump
& I gave Trump $1 mil for his inaugural
& gave his wife $30 mil to be in a doc....but I might have to list added tariff costs on Amazon so you won't think any of this is my fault.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) April 29, 2025
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.