Punchbowl News reported Amazon would display tariff pricing on some of their products. However, a few hours later, NBC News reported president Donald Trump called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos about the report.
From there, a spokesperson told CNBC that Amazon was only considering this for a few items in their Amazon Haul lineup.
For clarification, I reached out to Amazon and received the following statement, "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.“
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Amazon wasn't the first retailer to consider this. Currently, Shein and Temu implemented import charges, amounting to an 145% increase in each product sold, according to CNBC.
White House's response to Amazon
Naturally, the White House wasn't too keen with the intial report of Amazon considering adding tariff details to pricing.
"I just got off the phone with the president about this, about Amazon’s announcement. This is a hostile and political act by Amazon," remarked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?" She added. "It's not really a surprise" because "Amazon has partnered with a Chinese propaganda arm."
How much will tariffs raise Amazon products?
Even without the tariff pricing details, it's likely tariffs could increase prices on everyday items you purchase on Amazon.
SmartScout, an e-commerce software company, monitored the prices of 930 Amazon items. They've discovered prices rose by an average of 29% since April 9 across all verticals, including clothing, household items, office supplies and electronics.
Amazon firmly disagrees with their findings. An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC the findings were sensationalized and the research only covered a fraction of the items sold by the giant retailer.
How to save on Amazon products amid tariffs
The best way to save is to shop ahead, compare items with other retailers or take advantage of the perks that come with your Amazon Prime membership.
If you don't have one, you can try it free for 30 days:
Your credit card's cash back rewards could also help you offset some of the increased costs from tariffs.
The Prime Visa earns you an unlimited 5% back on all Amazon purchases, provided you have a Prime membership.
The bottom line
Amazon considered adding tariff pricing to some of their Amazon Haul items. However, after a quick call from Trump to Bezos, Amazon scrapped the plan entirely.
It's still a good idea to plan for rising prices from tariffs. And by using perks accorded to you by shopping programs like Amazon Prime, you can save on everyday items ranging from groceries to prescriptions.
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