TikTok deal stalled by China’s objections to tariffs, Trump says

New Delhi: Negotiations to secure TikTok’s future in the United States have ground to a halt, with President Donald Trump pointing to China’s objections over newly imposed US tariffs as the sticking point. 

On Friday, US President Trump granted ByteDance a 75-day extension to sell the US operations of its short video app to a non-Chinese buyer.

The breakdown threatens to unravel a deal that would transfer the app from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to American hands—a move demanded by a 2024 national security law—and underscores the growing entanglement of tech and trade in US-China relations.

As per news reports, Trump said a tentative agreement had been “very close” to completion before China pulled back in response to his administration’s latest tariff hike.

The tariffs, announced on April 2, slap a 34% duty on Chinese imports, building on an existing 20% levy and prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own 34% tariffs on US goods effective April 10.

Last year’s law, signed by President Biden, gave ByteDance until June 2025 to divest TikTok or face a ban, a deadline Trump has embraced with relish since returning to office.