US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would be willing to reduce tariffs on China to help secure a deal for TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the short-video app, which is used by 170 million Americans.
ByteDance faces an April 5 deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer for TikTok or risk a US ban on national security grounds. The ban was originally set to take effect in January under a 2024 law, which stemmed from concerns in Washington that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok could allow the Chinese government to influence American users and collect their data.
Trump said he was open to extending the April deadline if an agreement had not been reached. He acknowledged that China would play a key role in any deal, including giving its approval.
“Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” Trump told reporters.
TikTok did not immediately comment.
Trump’s remarks suggest that finalising TikTok’s sale is a priority for his administration and significant enough to warrant using tariffs as a negotiating tool with Beijing.
In February and earlier this month, Trump increased tariffs by a total of 20% on all Chinese imports. However, securing China’s approval for any deal involving the sale of a business worth tens of billions of dollars remains a major challenge.
Trump has previously used tariffs as leverage in TikTok negotiations. On January 20, his first day in office, he warned that he could impose tariffs on China if Beijing did not approve a US deal for TikTok.
Vice President JD Vance has said he expects a general agreement on TikTok’s ownership to be reached by April 5.
Last week, Reuters reported that White House-led talks among investors were centering on a plan for ByteDance’s largest non-Chinese investors to increase their stakes and acquire TikTok’s US operations, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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