United States: Donald Trump has indicated he may lower tariffs on China as part of a deal to facilitate the sale of TikTok by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The move highlights the former president’s prioritization of resolving TikTok’s ownership amid ongoing national security concerns.
Trump stated that, “With respect to TikTok, and China is going to have to play a role in that, possibly in the form of an approval, maybe, and I think they’ll do that. Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done.”
ByteDance faces a 5 April deadline to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer or risk a U.S. ban under a 2024 law designed to limit Beijing’s influence. The Chinese government has long resisted pressure to relinquish control of the app, which boasts 170 million U.S. users.
Earlier this year, Trump imposed additional tariffs of up to 20 percent on Chinese imports. However, he has suggested in the past that trade policies could be used as leverage in negotiations over TikTok’s future.
U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have expressed optimism about reaching a deal before the deadline. Reports suggest talks are focusing on ByteDance’s largest non-Chinese investors increasing their stakes to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.
The app, briefly shut down in January following a Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban, was revived after Trump postponed enforcement of the law to 5 April. He has since hinted at further extensions to allow negotiations to continue.
While the White House plays an active role in brokering a deal, free speech advocates argue that banning TikTok could violate the First Amendment by restricting Americans’ access to foreign media. TikTok has not yet commented on the ongoing discussions.
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