- Trump may lower tariffs on China to help finalize TikTok's sale
- Trump is willing to extend the April 5 deadline to find a TikTok buyer
- : The U.S. raised tariffs on China, leading to retaliatory actions
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that he might reduce tariffs on China to help facilitate the sale of the short video app TikTok by its parent company, ByteDance. He also expressed his willingness to extend the April 5 deadline for finding a non-Chinese buyer for the platform.
Earlier in January, Trump had delayed the enforcement of a law introduced under the Biden administration, which mandated the sale or ban of TikTok on national security grounds. The law, signed in 2024, called for action against the app due to concerns over its Chinese ownership.
Trump stated, “China will likely need to be involved in some form of approval, and I think they will agree.” He added, “Perhaps I’ll offer a slight reduction in tariffs or something to help get it done.”
Trump also indicated that he anticipated a deal outline would be ready by the April 5 deadline. The BBC has reached out to both TikTok and the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment.
The key hurdle in finalizing the sale of TikTok, which is valued at tens of billions of dollars, remains obtaining approval from Beijing. In past negotiations, Trump has used tariffs as leverage. Upon returning to the White House on January 20, he threatened additional tariffs on China if it did not approve a deal for TikTok.
TikTok, which has around 170 million users in the U.S., has become a highly influential platform. Trump, who previously called for a TikTok ban during his first term, now has his own account on the app, boasting over 15 million followers and millions of views during his presidential campaign.
In a separate development, the U.S. raised tariffs on all imports from China to 20% this month, doubling the previous tariff rate implemented by Trump on February 4. On February 10, China responded by imposing tariffs, including a 10-15% tax on certain U.S. agricultural products.
Additionally, China has targeted various U.S. industries, including aviation, defense, and tech, by adding companies to an “unreliable entity list” and imposing export restrictions. The 10% tariff on March 4 was also increased to 20%. Beijing has urged the U.S. to reinitiate dialogue with China as soon as possible.
