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Amazon has scrapped an internal proposal to display tariff-related import charges on its Amazon Haul platform, following sharp backlash from the White House and a direct call from President Donald Trump to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The idea, never implemented, would have disclosed how much Trump-era tariffs added to the prices of low-cost items, many of them imported from China and sold on Amazon Haul—a budget-focused portal launched to compete with fast-growing Chinese rivals like Temu and Shein.
News of the possible change first surfaced in a report from Punchbowl News on Tuesday morning, prompting immediate criticism from administration officials.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “We view this kind of move as a public-facing challenge to the president’s trade agenda.”
An Amazon spokesperson quickly clarified the situation in a statement to NBC News: “The team that runs our ultra low-cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and is not going to happen.”
They added, “This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties.”
Despite the company’s clarification, President Trump personally called Bezos on Tuesday morning, according to multiple reports confirmed by CNN and NBC News. “Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly and he did the right thing,” Trump told reporters later that day on the White House South Lawn.
The controversy highlights the growing tension between tech giants and the Trump administration, particularly around issues of trade and transparency. Online retailers like Temu have already started displaying added import fees directly, making Amazon’s reported consideration even more politically sensitive.
Though Bezos has made gestures to strengthen ties with Trump—including attending the president’s inauguration and supporting media projects about first lady Melania Trump—the tariff price display would have undercut one of Trump’s hallmark economic policies.
“This was clearly a political flashpoint,” said a senior retail analyst. “Even exploring transparency about tariffs is now interpreted as a challenge to the administration.”
