Tariffs stalled TikTok deal with China, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that China would have approved a TikTok deal if Washington hadn’t imposed new tariffs on Chinese imports just days earlier. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “The report is that we had a deal, pretty much for TikTok, not a deal, but pretty close, and then China changed the deal because of tariffs. If I gave a little cut in tariffs, they’d approve that deal in 15 minutes, which shows you the power of tariffs.”

The remarks came just two days after Trump slapped a 34 percent tariff on all Chinese imports, a move that prompted Beijing’s hesitation over the potential TikTok transaction. Trump extended the deadline for TikTok to find a non-Chinese buyer by 75 days to avoid being banned in the United States, giving more time for negotiations.

The video-sharing app, with over 170 million American users, faces a possible shutdown under a US law passed last year unless it cuts ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Trump indicated his administration was close to brokering a deal that involved several investors, but he did not provide details.

ByteDance acknowledged ongoing talks with the US government but highlighted that several important issues remain unresolved. “An agreement has not been executed,” the company said, adding that any potential outcome would be “subject to approval under Chinese law.” The future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain as trade tensions continue to influence tech negotiations.