According to two senior White House officials, Trump called Bezos to express his discontent over reports that Amazon was thinking of showing the cost of US tariffs alongside prices on the company’s website. Trump subsequently described the interaction as a “good call”.

“Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “He solved the problem very quickly. Good guy.”

Meanwhile, other e-commerce platforms, such as Shein and Temu, have adapted their pricing strategies due to tariffs. Temu, for instance, has implemented a new import charge at checkout. Both platforms primarily obtain their goods from China.

Leavitt also cited a Reuters report from 2021 about an alleged partnership between Amazon and a “Chinese propaganda arm” that censored user reviews on its Chinese website for President Xi Jinping’s speeches and writings.

She said that was “another reason why Americans should buy American,” adding that “it’s another reason why we are onshoring critical supply chains here at home, to shore up our own critical supply chain and boost our own manufacturing here.”

Bezos has actively worked to cultivate a relationship with the president in his second term, congratulating him on his November election and dining at the White House.

Bezos’ net worth has declined by $US30 billion ($47 billion) since the start of this year, according to Bloomberg Billionaire Index, partly as a result of Trump’s tariff policies and a decline in the stock market.