White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at Amazon on Tuesday, accusing the online retail giant of siding with Beijing after it was reported that the company plans to mark items with a surcharge label due to new tariffs. She condemned the decision as politically motivated and confrontational.
“This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,” Leavitt stated during a White House press briefing, as reported by Fox News. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?”
Leavitt mentioned that she had “just got off the phone” with President Trump regarding Amazon’s latest move, though she declined to discuss his personal dealings with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, saying, “I will not speak to the president’s relationships with [company founder] Jeff Bezos.”
The proposed label, which would notify shoppers that certain product prices include surcharges stemming from the newly announced tariffs on Chinese goods, has stirred debate amid a fresh wave of trade friction between Washington and Beijing.
Leavitt’s pointed remarks follow President Trump’s early April announcement of a sweeping tariff package targeting Chinese imports, which the administration described as a correction of long-standing trade disparities.
In the aftermath of that decision, many third-party Amazon sellers have responded by increasing the prices of popular consumer products — ranging from household items to gadgets and clothing.
According to tracking data, almost 1,000 items listed on Amazon have experienced price increases since the middle of April, as the new tariff structure reverberates across the marketplace.
The analytics company SmartScout reported that the average hike among affected items is close to 30%, reflecting a broad and immediate impact.
These price jumps have touched numerous categories, with notable brands such as Anker — a major supplier of charging gear — adjusting prices on about 25% of its product listings.
“It’s one of the first concerted efforts I’ve seen where nothing explains the price hikes other than tariffs,” said SmartScout CEO Scott Needham, speaking to CBS MoneyWatch.
This clash with Amazon comes shortly after President Trump offered unexpected praise for Jeff Bezos, marking a dramatic shift from their previously combative dynamic.
In a conversation with The Atlantic, Trump described how his once-contentious relationships with Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have turned into ones rooted in “respect.”
He credited both tech leaders for realigning their companies’ internal policies to better reflect the principles of his administration.
“They’ve been great,” Trump said of the tech moguls.
“It’s just a higher level of respect. I don’t know. Maybe they didn’t know me at the beginning, and they know me now.”
{Matzav.com}