Lankford supports Amazon’s ‘transparency’ in tariff cost
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) has expressed his support for Amazon’s initiative to provide transparency regarding tariff costs on its products, despite facing opposition from the White House. The senator highlighted the importance of informing consumers about how tariffs, particularly those imposed during the Trump administration, affect product prices. Amazon had announced plans to explain these “import charges” on its website, but a conversation between Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos may lead to a retraction of this initiative. Lankford emphasized that consumers appreciate knowing the origins of their products and the tariffs that might apply. He also cautioned Amazon against engaging in political actions that could alienate a significant portion of its customer base, referencing past instances where other companies faced backlash for their political stances.
James Lankford supports Amazon’s ‘transparency’ in tariff cost display
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) encouraged Amazon to continue communicating the cost of tariffs on its products despite pushback from the White House.
Amazon teased a “import charges” explainer on its websites to demonstrate how President Donald Trump‘s “Liberation Day” tariffs, largely on pause until July 9, affect prices. However, a phone call between Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, confirmed by sources to the Washington Examiner, might undo the import charges.
“I think what they’ll see a lot of times is some products that are made in China or other products that are made in America, and it’ll also give Americans the opportunity to be able to see one versus the other, the origin where it’s coming from, or to be able to note if this is coming from a place that has lower tariffs or higher tariffs on it,” Lankford said on CNN’s the Situation Room Tuesday. “Americans often want a choice. They want to know. That‘s why we label all of our fruits and vegetables that are coming in. What country did this come from? That country of origin. People just want to be able to have that kind of insight. If it allows greater transparency, I don‘t have a problem with it.”
Lankford warned the retailer that if it veers into political action, it could “suffer” as other companies have when they enacted political policies, “because half the country got frustrated with them on it.”
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Bezos was among the tech giants who attended Trump’s inauguration in January. He stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021 to become the Executive Chairman of the Amazon Board.
A Jungle Scout survey among Amazon sellers found that over 70% of products come at least in part from China. No other country came close despite sellers being able to cite more than one country in the survey. Meanwhile, the United States accounted for less than a third of the products.
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