TikTok gets second reprieve from Trump as China blocks deal over newly announced US tariffs

President Donald Trump has given TikTok a second 75-day extension, postponing a potential US ban as his administration scrambles to broker a deal for the Chinese-owned app. The delay, announced just hours before the original deadline, follows an unexpected twist: China walked away from the negotiating table after Trump imposed sweeping global tariffs — including harsh new levies on Chinese imports.

“We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark’,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal.”

Owned by ByteDance, TikTok boasts more than 170 million US users and has found itself caught in the crossfire of US-China tensions. Under a bipartisan law passed by Congress last year, ByteDance must sell TikTok’s US operations or face an outright ban. The law gave the company six months — now extended twice — to comply.

ByteDance confirmed on Friday that talks are ongoing. “An agreement has not been executed,” a spokesperson said. “Key matters remain unresolved. Any deal must be approved under Chinese law.”

That approval, however, appears in jeopardy. Sources close to the negotiations told CBS News that a deal had been nearly finalised earlier this week, with all parties — ByteDance, US officials, existing and new investors — reportedly on board. But within hours of Trump announcing a new round of tariffs, China refused to approve the sale unless discussions over those tariffs took place.

The Chinese embassy in Washington condemned the US move, accusing it of “violating the basic principles of the market economy.”

Trump has hinted at a possible trade-off: a TikTok sale in return for relief from US tariffs. “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China,” he wrote, noting that Beijing is “not very happy” with the new trade measures. “Tariffs are our most powerful economic tool and are very important to our national security,” he added.

The tariffs, which hit China with a 54% average duty on goods entering the US, prompted a 34% counter-tariff from Beijing, escalating trade tensions once again. The fallout derailed what could have been a done deal for TikTok’s American operations.

Vice-President JD Vance is leading the administration’s push to find a buyer. Trump confirmed that his team is in contact with four interested parties, though he declined to name them. Reports suggest a flurry of last-minute bids, including one from Amazon, though the company has not commented.

Among other contenders are Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, joining a group led by billionaire Frank McCourt and Canadian investor Kevin O’Leary. Tech and finance giants like Microsoft, Blackstone, Andreessen Horowitz, and search engine startup Perplexity AI are also reportedly eyeing the deal.

The Biden administration had previously cited national security concerns, warning TikTok could be used by the Chinese government for surveillance and propaganda. That stance was echoed by Trump, but he’s since indicated a willingness to negotiate — if it serves broader US trade interests.

Critics of the potential ban argue that removing TikTok would stifle freedom of speech and disproportionately affect young Americans, for whom the platform is a daily fixture.

For now, TikTok survives in the US — but only just. The next 75 days could determine whether it remains part of American social life or becomes another casualty of the Trump-China economic tug of war.