Donald Trump is still desperately trying to get his pudgy little hands on TikTok one way or another. Despite initially calling for it to be banned, the president changed his tune and restored the app, giving the Chinese owners until April 5th to find an American buyer.
Well Trump’s deadline is fast approaching and yet ByteDance, the company behind the popular video-sharing app, have so far refused to sell it. In what some would call a last-ditch hail Mary, Trump has offered to very generously reduce the tariff charges he currently has on Chinese goods in exchange for the country’s support on a TikTok deal.
Could Trump’s tariff deal convince the TikTok owners to sell?
Earlier this year Trump levied 20% tariffs on goods from China, he also plans to announce even more on the country in the next week but could reduce the percentage if China agrees to sell TikTok according to The Times.
On Wednesday, the president admitted that China would “have to play a role” in the sale of TikTok. He told reporters at the White House that he would be open to “a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” but didn’t specify just how much that reduction would be exactly. Trump seemed confident that what he was offering was a good deal, claiming that “every point in tariffs is worth more than TikTok.” The app and its algorithm was estimated to be worth around $100 billion in 2024.
All things considered it looks like neither ByteDance nor China will be looking to sell the app anytime soon — it’s just way too valuable and Trump’s paltry Tariff offer is unlikely to sway them. AFP reported that Chinese officials had rebuffed Trump’s offer, with the Foreign Ministry in Beijing stating that it has, “repeatedly stated our position” on TikTok. A sale or divestiture could only be considered if it complies with local export laws, meaning Beijing would have power over the arrangement.
Either way, it looks like we’re no closer to seeing the U.S. and China coming to an agreement over TikTok than we were back in January. When asked what would happen if a deal isn’t reached by the April 5th deadline Trump responded, “If it’s not finished, it’s not a big deal. We’ll extend it.” So don’t worry, TikTok probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Why does Donald Trump want to save TikTok all of a sudden?
Donald Trump initially called for TikTok to be banned during his first term, but last year the president joined the app and has since amassed 15 million followers. He partially credits the app for helping him to win the votes of the younger demographics and now claims he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok.” It’s also likely he’s seen how popular it is and wants people to view him as the savior of the app.
Published: Mar 28, 2025 6:29 PM UTC