Amazon Weighs Adding Tariff Surcharges to Haul Bargain Listings Amid Rising Trade Tensions

Amazon is exploring whether to display tariff surcharges on ultra-low-cost products sold through its Haul platform—a budget-focused section of its website and app offering items under $20. The potential change, confirmed by Amazon to CNBC, signals a new way the retail giant may respond to increasing trade-related costs.

Haul, Amazon’s answer to fast-growing Chinese discount retailers like Temu and Shein, targets price-conscious shoppers with cheap electronics, clothing, and household items. These competitors have gained massive popularity in the U.S. thanks to their rock-bottom prices—often enabled by trade exemptions and low manufacturing costs.

An Amazon spokesperson clarified that the idea of listing import charges is under consideration only for Haul, not the broader Amazon marketplace. “The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store has considered listing import charges on certain products,” the company said. “This was never a consideration for the main Amazon site and nothing has been implemented on any Amazon properties.”

The discussion gained traction after Punchbowl News reported that Amazon would “soon” begin showing tariffs alongside product prices—a move that quickly caught the attention of the White House.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t hold back, slamming the idea as politically motivated. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” she said, calling the reported plan a “hostile and political act.”

This tariff-related shake-up comes as Amazon and other retailers brace for the impact of new trade policies under former President Donald Trump’s second round of tariffs. Earlier this month, Amazon began surveying its massive third-party seller network to assess how the new tariffs are affecting operations, product sourcing, and logistics. Many sellers are already feeling the pinch—raising prices, trimming marketing budgets, and adjusting their supply chains in response to rising import costs.

If Amazon proceeds with its surcharge display on Haul, it could set a precedent for greater transparency in how trade policies affect everyday prices—and spark new debates over who really bears the cost of global trade.