Trump admin accuses Amazon of partnering with 'a Chinese propaganda arm' over tariff listing talk

Date:
Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:01:00 +0000

Description:
Amazon was going to display tariffs on certain Amazon Haul products, but the change was never approved.

FULL STORY

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has slated Amazon's plans to display tariff costs on its import-focused Amazon Haul sub-store, calling it
a "hostile and political act."

According to The Washington Post , citing two unnamed sources familiar with
the matter, Trump had called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to complain about the reported change.

Amazon has since confirmed that it had "considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products," however "this was never approved and is not
going to happen." It's worth noting that this was also a consideration for Amazon Haul, therefore the main Amazon store would have been unaffected.
Trump administration criticizes Amazon over its handling of tariffs

"He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. Good guy," Trump said. However, while Trump's issue with Amazon seems to have been settled,
that didn't stop the President's Press Secretary from tying Amazon to Chinese propaganda. The company "partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm," she said.

Chinese exports to the US face up to 245% in tariffs, and Amazon Haul competitors like Temu, Shein and AliExpress have started to list tariffs or incorporate them into prices.

As it currently stands, the US plans to remove its de minimis exemption, meaning that packages under $800 coming from China/Hong Kong will also be impacted by tariffs. Smartphones and computers currently remain exempt.

For consumers, Trump's tariffs have seen companies like Logitech and Nintendo raise prices, while Temu has also started listing Chinese-shipped items as being sold out for US buyers.

Amazon, now headed up by Andy Jassy, and not Jeff Bezos, reported an 11% year-over-year revenue increase last fiscal year. In his shareholder letter , Jassy noted that the US market saw a 10% growth.

======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/trump-admin-accuses-amazon-of-partnering-with-a- chinese-propaganda-arm-over-tariff-listing-talk

$$
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

"He solved the problem very quickly. He did the right thing. Good guy," Trump said. However, while Trump's issue with Amazon seems to have been settled, that didn't stop the President's Press Secretary from tying Amazon to Chinese propaganda. The company "partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm," she said.

This makes me wonder if Leavitt was speaking for Trump, the Trump administration in general, or for herself.

Amazon has since confirmed that it had "considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products," however "this was never approved

And I'm not sure if that "consideration" was weighed by Bezos, the Amazon corporation, or what. Doesn't it seem like it would be a dumb move for Amazon though? It would have been like saying "Look at these tariffed prices and think about whether or not you still want to buy it." (Passing the blame for high prices does not seem like a good sales maneuver.)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)