Former US President Donald Trump revealed that a deal to keep TikTok operational in the United States was nearly finalized but fell apart after China shifted its stance due to newly imposed tariffs.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “We had a deal, pretty much for TikTok—not a final deal, but very 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.”
Last week, Trump imposed a 34% tariff on Chinese imports. In response, China announced reciprocal tariffs of the same rate on all US imports, effective April 10, according to CNN.
Trump also stated that his administration had been working diligently to “save TikTok” and announced a 75-day extension to keep the app running while negotiations continue. “The deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed,” he posted on his platform, Truth Social.
The former president emphasized that he hoped to continue talks with China “in good faith” despite their displeasure over the tariff hikes. He reiterated his stance that tariffs are a powerful economic tool necessary to ensure fair trade and national security.
“We do not want TikTok to go dark,” Trump said. “We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the deal.”
The TikTok saga has been ongoing for several years. In 2023, then-President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its US operations or face a ban over national security concerns. Trump, who postponed the enforcement of that law upon taking office in January, said his aim was to negotiate a deal that would allow TikTok to remain accessible in the US.
In response, a ByteDance spokesperson confirmed ongoing discussions with the US government and acknowledged that “an agreement has not been executed,” noting that any deal would still require approval under Chinese law.
