Trump says he is talking to every CEO who intends to increase prices due to tariffs

President Donald Trump receded on Friday with the founder and chairman of Amazon and the chairman of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, in his phone call and informed NBC News' “Meet the Press” in an interview that he would apply the same tactics with CEOs from other large wholesalers if necessary.

The call occurred, after Punchbowl News reported that the Amazon would list 145% tariffs in China after the Trump government's decision, would list tariff fees for certain Amazon purchases.

“He is just a very nice guy,” said Trump in an interview about Bezos, which was broadcast on Sunday. “We have a relationship. I asked him [the tariff charge language Amazon considered including in listings]. He said, “Well, I don't want to do that” and he took it off immediately. “

Trump and Bezos seem to have built a closer relationship in recent months than in Trump's first administration.

In December, Amazon donated $ 1 million for Trump's inaugurates, and Bezos took part in his reference ceremony. Bezos resigned as a CEO of the company in 2021, but he is still the chairman of the Executive.

In an explanation shortly after the Punchbowl report, a spokesman for Amazon told NBC News: “The team that runs our ultra low costs for the Amazon route has considered the idea of ​​listing import fees for certain products. This was never admitted and will not happen.”

When asked whether he would use the same tactics with CEOs from other large retailers, Trump told moderator Kristen Welker: “Sure. I will always call people if I do not agree with them.”

“When I think someone is doing something that is wrong, wrong or maybe hurt for the country, I call,” he added. “Wouldn't you call? [Former President Joe] Biden would not call because he didn't know what was going on, but I do it. “

In the interview, Trump defended his decision to impose important tariffs for imports from China, and said that the move should give companies incentives to build factories in the USA in order not only to pay tariffs and not only increase prices for consumers in order to compensate for the costs for tariffs.

“I don't consider it tax. I consider it an incentive for people to come to the USA and plant, factories, offices, many things. I think it is an incentive,” he said.

“What people don't understand is, and that's a lot, the country eats the tariff. The company eats the tariff. And it is not passed on,” he added.

Several other important online retailers such as Temu, an inexpensive retail trade website based in China, have already started to charge the collective bargaining fees for consumers, and added advertising booking for purchases that are listed as “import fees”.

Other popular American retailers such as Béis, Bare Notes and Fashion Nova have asked consumers to buy more at short notice, and predicted that the imposition of future tariffs could force them to increase prices.

Larger companies such as Pepsico and Procter & Gamble have issued similar warnings and have informed the shareholders in the latest meetings that they already see the effects of tariffs on profits.

Trump has recognized that tariffs could have an impact on the availability of consumer goods at short notice.

When asked whether his remark about children who have fewer toys during a cabinet meeting is that the tariffs would increase prices, Trump said to Welker: “I don't think a nice little girl – that's 11 years old – have 30 dolls. I think they can have three dolls or four dolls because we were only incredible with China.”

Trump made a similar remark at a cabinet meeting in the White House and told the members of his administration: “Maybe the children have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. And maybe the two dolls cost a few dollars more than normally.”

But he defended himself against the claim that he predicted price increases or shortage of care due to tariffs.

“I just say that you do not have to have 30 dolls. You can have three. You don't have to have 250 pens. You can have five,” he said, adding, “We don't have to waste money for a trade deficit with China for things that we do not need, for garbage that we don't need.”