I may give China reduction in tariffs to seal TikTok deal — Trump

US President, Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he is open to reducing tariffs on China as part of a deal for TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the widely used short-video app.

TikTok, which has 170 million American users, faces an April 5 deadline to secure a non-Chinese buyer or risk a ban in the US on national security grounds, in accordance with a 2024 law.

This legislation stems from concerns in Washington that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok makes it susceptible to Chinese government influence. It potentially allows Beijing to use the app for data collection and influence operations against the US.

Trump indicated he might extend the April deadline if a deal is not finalized, acknowledging China’s role in approving any agreement.

“Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” he told reporters.

TikTok has not yet commented on the matter. Meanwhile, China’s commerce ministry reaffirmed its consistent stance on tariffs, emphasizing Beijing’s willingness to engage with Washington based on “mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit” during a press conference on Thursday.

Trump’s remarks suggest that facilitating TikTok’s sale is a priority for his administration, to the extent that he is considering using tariffs as leverage with Beijing.
In February and earlier this month, Trump increased levies on all Chinese imports by a total of 20%.

Securing China’s approval for any deal that relinquishes control of a company worth tens of billions of dollars remains a key obstacle.

Trump has previously used tariffs as a negotiating tool in discussions over TikTok’s future. On January 20, his first day in office, he warned that he could impose tariffs on China if Beijing failed to approve a US deal for the app.

Vice President, JD Vance has expressed confidence that a resolution regarding TikTok’s ownership will be reached by April 5.

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It was reported last week that White House-led discussions among investors are focusing on a plan for ByteDance’s largest non-Chinese backers to increase their stakes and acquire TikTok’s US operations, according to two sources familiar with the talks.

The app’s future has been uncertain since the passage of a bipartisan law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19.

The app briefly went offline in January after the US Supreme Court upheld the ban but resumed operations days later following Trump’s inauguration.

Upon taking office, Trump issued an executive order postponing enforcement of the law until April 5 and later indicated he could extend that deadline further to allow time for negotiations. The White House has played an unusually active role in the discussions, essentially acting as an investment bank in the deal.

Free speech advocates have argued that the ban unlawfully restricts Americans from accessing foreign media, potentially violating the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

(Reuters)

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