Trump Extends TikTok Sale Deadline

On Sunday, President Donald Trump declared that China was ready to sign off on a deal for TikTok’s operations in the US until recent tariffs disrupted the talks. While addressing reporters, Trump said, “We had a deal pretty much, but China changed it because of tariffs,” saying that if the tariffs were lifted, Beijing would quickly approve the agreement. This statement followed a 75 day extension granted on Friday for TikTok to complete a sale to a non Chinese buyer, a move that came right after new 34% tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports.

The ongoing TikTok problem comes from a US law that was first put in place during President Biden's administration and is now being enforced by Trump. This law requires TikTok to cut its connections with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or be banned. With more than 170 million users in the US, TikTok's future also plays a role in the larger context of tech and trade tensions between the US and China.

Trump did not talk about who the potential buyers are, but he did say that there are “multiple investors” in the mix. ByteDance has said that they’re in discussions with US officials, but they also said that there are still some “key matters” that need to be sorted out, saying that any deal will have to get the green light under Chinese law.