Amazon US denies: 'Never considered' duty cost exposure

Companies such as Amazon and fast fashion giant Shein Group Ltd. are bracing themselves for a 120% duty on many of their products due to the US government's decision to end the 'de minimis' exemption for small packages from mainland China and Hong Kong. In recent years, exporters had taken advantage of the exemption, which allowed goods worth less than $800 to enter the US without tariffs or duties.

Leavitt claimed to have spoken to Trump about the relationship and then criticised Amazon's adherence to the Chinese government's censorship demands. Leavitt refused to answer the question whether the move had damaged relations between the president and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has been trying to ingratiate himself with Trump in recent months. Bezos and Trump often clashed during the president's first term because of the billionaire's ownership of the Washington Post. "I'm not going to talk about the president's relationship with Jeff Bezos," Leavitt in fact stated.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was present at the press conference, said that any move to highlight tariffs is unfair if the costs of policies implemented by other administrations, including regulations, are not analysed.

"The big tax on consumers that goes unnoticed is deregulation or regulation, and we are deregulating and reducing," Bessent said. "So from a household income perspective, we expect a real increase in purchases, as we have seen in the first 100 days: we expect an acceleration."

A CNN poll released this week showed 59% of the public believe Trump's policies have worsened the economic situation, with six in ten believing his efforts have increased the cost of living. Nearly seven in ten of those surveyed say they believe an economic recession is likely in the coming year.