On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump stated that he might be open to lowering tariffs on China to reach an agreement with ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the app. TikTok is used by 170 million Americans for short videos. 

ByteDance has until April 5 to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese company, or it will be banned in the US for national security reasons, under a law that was originally set to take effect in January 2024. The law was created because US officials worry that, since TikTok is owned by ByteDance, it could be controlled by the Chinese government, which might use the app to influence Americans and collect their data. Trump said he was open to extending the April deadline if no agreement was reached on the social media app. "Maybe I'll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done," Trump told reporters, acknowledging the role China will play in completing any deal, including approving it.

TikTok has not yet responded. Trump's statement shows that selling TikTok is a key focus for his administration, and he is willing to use tariffs as a negotiation tool with China. In  February and earlier this month, Trump increased tariffs on all Chinese imports by 20%. Getting China to agree to give up control of a business worth tens of billions of dollars has always been the biggest challenge in finalising any deal, Trump has previously used tariffs as a bargaining tool in TikTok negotiations, On January 20, his first day in office, he warned that he might impose tariffs on China if Beijing did not approve a US deal for TikTok, Vice President JD Vance has said he expects the general terms of an agreement on TikTok’s ownership to be finalised by April 5.

Last week, Reuters reported that investors, led by the White House, are working on a plan for TikTok’s biggest non-Chinese backers to buy a larger share of ByteDance and take over its U.S. operations, according to two sources familiar with the talks. The app’s future has been uncertain since a law, passed with strong support from both political parties, required ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19. In January, TikTok briefly shut down after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ban. However, it was back online just days later when Trump took office. Trump quickly signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of the law until April 5. 

Last month, he mentioned that he might extend the deadline further to allow more time to negotiate a deal. The White House has been unusually involved in these high-profile deal discussions, acting almost like an investment bank. Free speech supporters argue that the ban could illegally limit Americans' access to foreign media, violating the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.