The Scoop: Amazon clarifies tariff pricing report after Bezos’ ‘good guy’ call with Trump

Amazon came out forcefully this week to deny reports that it planned to display tariff-related import charges alongside product prices – a feature the company says it never approved and has no plans to implement on any of its platforms.

Punchbowl News, a Capitol Hill-focused outlet, reported that Amazon considered showing how much of a product’s price stemmed from import tariffs, potentially spotlighting the consumer cost of President Donald Trump’s latest trade moves.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reports a “hostile and political act.” “It’s another reason Americans should buy American,” she said during a morning news briefing.

In a statement, Amazon said the team behind Haul, its discount platform, floated the “idea of listing import charges on certain products,” but emphasized clearly and unequivocally that “This was never approved and is not going to happen.” The company also said no one discussed the idea for the main retail site.

Shortly after the news broke, Trump noted that he spoke directly with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, saying that Bezos had “solved the problem very quickly. Good guy.”

Amazon, however, chose to release its statement anyway – both to the media and on its website – to attempt to shut the door on any perceptions of bowing to political pressures. 

Why it matters: Amazon found itself in a political tight spot – trying not to provoke the White House, while also appearing to stand firm in the face of political pressure.

That’s what made its follow-up statement to CNN and other outlets so crucial, even after Trump declared the matter resolved.

Following the call, Trump made a point of praising Bezos as “very nice,” “terrific” and a “good guy.” He also made a point of stating that Bezos has “resolved” the issue, which to some may have made it appear as though Amazon changed plans following the one-on-one conversation.

If Trump’s version of events had been the only one on the record, Amazon would’ve appeared to have bowed to presidential pressure – an image potentially damaging given Bezos’ ties to Trump, including a $1 million inauguration donation, his attendance at the event and the Washington Post’s shift to write daily opinion editorials “in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets.” 

Beyond just the appearance of taking political sides, it could appear to investors that Amazon was now making business operations decisions based on what the White House told them to do, potentially affecting the company’s bottom line.

When it comes to PR, sometimes a statement isn’t just about the words on the page. It’s about adding or shaping important context around the words other people have already said.

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Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.