President Donald Trump has announced a 75-day extension for the enforcement of the TikTok sale-or-ban law, just one day before the ban was set to take effect.
Gatekeepers News reports the move comes after Trump’s tariff announcement on China derailed a potential deal that would have transferred control of TikTok’s US operations to American ownership.
Trump stated on Truth Social, “My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed.” The deal, which was finalized on Wednesday, would have allowed ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to retain a 20% stake in the spinoff company.
However, after Trump announced a 34% tariff on China, ByteDance pulled out of the deal, citing the need for further negotiations on the tariffs. Trump has expressed his willingness to continue working with China, stating, “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China… We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark.'”
The delay has raised questions about TikTok’s long-term future in the US, given the escalating trade war between the US and China.
The Chinese government has not indicated whether it would approve a sale.
