Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

punchbowl.news

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 443 posts

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#81

Post by clbrmbr »

profmonocle wrote: post #76

I'm fine with this as long as they include the tariff in the listed price. I'm worried businesses are going to use tariffs as an excuse to have a fake list price, then hit you with massive hidden fees at the point of sale. Some sectors have been doing this for years - "service fees" at restaurants, "regulatory response fees" in the telecom industry, all sorts of nonsense in event ticketing. Physical goods have mostly…

100% this. I’d take it a step further and say that sales tax should be included when you are logged in and it can be anticipated, like is the case in most other countries.

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#82

Post by ZeroTalent »

lvl155 wrote: post #69
alphabetting wrote: post #43

Over half of Amazon's third party sellers are Chinese companies who regularly false report to dodge tariffs on their products in ways that American competitors can't. Amazon claims to police them but they're extremely reliant on them at this point and the Chinese sellers just start up new brands if penalized. https://x.com/zackkanter/status/1908343624464576666

When are we going to realize this is a form of dumping by the Chinese? People love cheap goods but as QoL in China improves, they won’t be able to churn out cheap goods for long. That’s why CCP is hellbent on trying to monopolize global supply chain. In fact, I believe we are first slowly and then drastically headed toward global equilibrium in labor cost. We might be looking at significantly cheaper labor in the US…

There is no more "as QoL in China improves."

The majority of parts of "Swiss Made" watches are made in China, utilizing a loophole that requires 60% of the watch's cost to be manufactured and assembled in Switzerland. So they make a rotor made out of gold in Switzerland, which accounts for 60% of the COGS of the watch, pop the rotor on the movement, and the sapphire glass on the watch, and it's "Swiss Made."

Best source, a rabbit hole: https://monochrome-watches.com/h-moser-cie-launches-swiss-ma...

Replicas are also manufactured in the same factories as "authentic" watches, but are fully assembled in China. (my personal insider anecdote)

"Investigators who work for Rolex and others say high-end fakes are “made in the same industrial parks and on cloned CNC machines”": https://www.businessinsider.com/how-counterfeit-rolexes-work...

"2025 “superfake” TAG Heuer Aquaracers used real Swiss Sellita movements inside Chinese-made cases—proof of parts leakage, if not identical factory floors": https://www.heddels.com/2025/03/spotting-a-superfake-4-real-...

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#84

Post by xtiansimon »

Interesting.

AliExpress added this last week as a line item cost during checkout.

I took up a new hobby in 2021 and was buying materials from Amazon and eBay. There’s more transparency on eBay for products shipped directly from China. As a result I stated to realize when shopping on Amazon (and not buying a known Branded Manufacturer, but choosing same category product at lower price) I was buying the exact same low quality Chinese products on Amazon as I was buying on eBay and paying more. Of course, Amazon has better customer service and more consistent return policies compared to eBay stores. There’s benefits for the price, but the products are the same.

Then I discovered AliExpress, and found the same products I was buying on eBay, and Amazon, but my costs were even less. Downside was longer shipping times, and (effectively) no returns.

Last week I looked to buy more materials at AliExpress, and found the line item tariff cost had doubled the price.

I think you see the differences I’m highlighting here are cost and customer service—ALL for the SAME products.

I’m bummed my hobby costs are going up for the same quality products. I’m bummed the sub-800$ exemption is going away.

I believe AliExpress is the Chinese equivalent of eBay. Everybody is buying from the wholesale marketplace, Alibaba. If an Amazon seller is adding tariffs, then I think they’re an AliExpress seller on the Amazon platform.

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#86

Post by rubyfan »

Etheryte wrote: post #13

The Red Coalition ad under the article hits a very ironic note: > You voted for American energy dominance—and the Trump Administration is delivering. From solar to oil & gas, they’re unleashing it all. More energy. More jobs. Higher wages. America is booming—because when we lead, we win.

The whole site seems sponsored by them?

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#87

Post by watwut »

horns4lyfe wrote: post #39

Are they going to show the cost of tariffs for other countries as well? Or just partisan hackiness?

Yes, you can see tariffs and shipping separately on Amazon when buying in different country. At least could a while ago, I havet done that foe a long time.

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#88

Post by pjc50 »

coliveira wrote: post #2

This may backfire. Will they also show how much their profits are costing consumers?

People who are not children understand that retailers have margins. You can shop around to avoid a retailer margin .. unless they're a monopoly. You can't shop around tariffs. Well, legally.

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#89

Post by tnel77 »

al_borland wrote: post #75

I’d like them to add a Made in USA section where people can find tariff free products that support local businesses and workers.

While I agree with you, I think it would be extremely rare (maybe impossible) to have a truly tariff-free product.

Yes, all of the parts and assembly for a product can occur in the United States, but what about the tools they use? What about the semi and the fuel it uses to bring you those tools? While there will certainly be companies that don’t directly pay tariffs, it will be hard for just about every domestic manufacturer to be completely shielded from their effects.

Re: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

#90

Post by stetrain »

dagaci wrote: post #55
jl6 wrote: post #4

Presumably they can determine this for items directly imported, but for all other cases (such as a made-in-the-USA product that is built using made-in-China tools, or from made-in-China components), surely the cost impact on the final product could be extremely complex to work out, if they even have access to that level of supply chain detail?

Surely they will have receipts for the tariffs paid…

Company A imports steel and pays a tariff, uses the steels to make screws in the US.

Company B imports lumber and pays a tariff, manufacturers it into furniture rails in the US.

Company C buys furniture rails from Company B and screws from Company A and assembles them into an end table.

Company D buys the end tables wholesale from Company C and distributes them on Amazon.

How does Amazon display the tariffs paid by Company A and B and correctly show the price difference in the final product?

Post reply on HN