Amazon has abandoned an internal proposal to display US tariff fees on certain product listings after the White House criticized the move as “hostile and political,” according to a Reuters report. The plan, which would have affected low-cost items sold through Amazon’s Haul platform, was reportedly scrapped following a phone call between President Donald Trump and Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos.
Inside the Amazon Haul plan
Amazon’s plan was simple: to clearly display tariff fees next to the original price of any items being taxed through Trump’s tariffs. But the plan was never meant to affect items on Amazon’s primary e-commerce platform; instead, the team at Amazon was considering adding this level of transparency to items listed on the new Amazon Haul app, as reported by Reuters.
Amazon Haul, launched in November 2024, is the company’s low-cost shopping platform that competes with Chinese retailers such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress. The app features a wide selection of budget-friendly items, including clothing, electronics, home goods, and toys.
All of the items featured on the Haul app are priced $20 or less. These items are still backed by the Amazon A-to-Z Guarantee, which provides significant consumer protections for those purchasing products from the e-commerce giant.
“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,” according to Amazon staff.
White House reaction was swift
Trump reportedly spoke by phone with Bezos on the same day that Amazon’s plan was reported.
“He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing,” said President Trump in regards to his phone call with Bezos.
The positive reception should come as no surprise, as the two have had a cordial relationship thus far. Bezos joined Trump at the inauguration for his second term, and he attended a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Will any retailers display tariff fees?
Whether Amazon will reconsider displaying tariff fees in the future, or if other e-commerce sites will begin displaying those fees on their sites, remains to be seen. If any company decides to follow Amazon’s lead, however, they’ll likely draw the ire of President Trump.
