Trump Pauses TikTok Ban as China Tariffs Shake Up Negotiations
TikTok’s fate in the United States remains uncertain – but not sealed – as former President Donald Trump announced a fresh 75-day extension of the enforcement deadline on the app’s mandated sale or ban. This latest delay, which comes just a day before the ban was set to take effect, underscores how TikTok has become a high-stakes pawn in an escalating trade and tech standoff between the U.S. and China.
Trump’s decision comes on the heels of a last-minute disruption: an unexpected 34% tariff hike on Chinese goods announced earlier in the week. That move, sources close to the negotiations say, prompted China to pull back from a near-finalized agreement to restructure TikTok’s U.S. operations under American control.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump acknowledged the delay, stating that more time was needed to finalize what he called a “tremendous” deal to keep TikTok running in the U.S.
“We have made significant progress,” he wrote. “But the Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed.”
A new executive order signed on Friday formalized the delay, effectively extending the window for negotiations through mid-June. The move buys more time for the parties involved – TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, American investors, and the Trump administration – to realign after the sudden derailment.
A Deal Nearly Done – Until It Wasn’t
Just days earlier, optimism was high. According to insiders, a deal had been reached that would have seen several American tech investors and private equity firms take a controlling stake in a U.S.-based TikTok spinoff. ByteDance was to retain a minority share, capped at 20% in accordance with U.S. law, and would have no access to the platform’s algorithms or user data.
The framework appeared to satisfy all parties, including Trump’s Vice President JD Vance, who was leading the negotiation efforts. The agreement awaited only final signatures and a formal green light via executive order.
But with Trump’s surprise tariff announcement, ByteDance reportedly informed the White House that Chinese officials had put the deal on hold, pending further discussions around the broader trade implications. The abrupt pause left Trump’s team scrambling and ultimately led to the decision to delay the ban’s enforcement once again.
A Political Hot Potato
The repeated delays are not without controversy. National security concerns have long hovered over TikTok due to its ties to China, and many in Congress – including members of both parties – supported legislation last year requiring ByteDance to divest or face a ban.
Legal scholars say the law was clear in allowing for just one extension – up to 90 days – if the president could show meaningful progress. Trump’s second extension, some argue, oversteps that limit and risks undermining the law’s intent.
“This just compounds the problem,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. “Congress intended to act swiftly to protect national security. Delays weaken that position.”
Still, for TikTok’s 170 million American users, the extension offers a temporary reprieve. The app, which briefly went dark for nearly a day before Biden’s exit from office in January, came back online with a message thanking Trump for his support and a pledge to work with him on a “long-term solution.”
The Broader Game
What’s unfolding may be less about TikTok and more about leverage. Trump has hinted at wanting to use the platform as a bargaining chip in broader trade negotiations with Beijing. Industry analysts see a familiar pattern.
“Dragging out the clock, extracting leverage, and keeping the drama alive – it’s classic Trump,” said Jeremy Goldman, principal analyst at Emarketer. “As long as TikTok’s future is in limbo, it serves as a pressure point in the U.S.-China power dynamic.”
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, has played an unusually public role in recent weeks. He was spotted on stage during Trump’s inauguration alongside senior cabinet members and major tech executives – an indication, perhaps, of the political significance the app now holds.
For ByteDance, the stakes are equally high. In a rare statement, the company confirmed it has been in active discussions with the U.S. government but warned that “key matters” remain unresolved and that any final deal would require approval under Chinese law.
What’s Next?
With the new deadline looming in June, the next two and a half months will be critical. The White House must now determine whether it can reach a deal acceptable to both Washington and Beijing – without appearing to capitulate on national security or economic policy.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s users, investors, and executives remain in a holding pattern, unsure whether the app’s long-term future in the U.S. is secured or still hanging in the balance.
In Trump’s words: “We do not want TikTok to go dark.” But the light, for now, remains dim.
