Trump extends TikTok sale deadline by 75 days

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Friday extended by 75 days a deadline for Chinese technology company ByteDance to sell U.S. assets of popular short video app TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban that was supposed to take effect in January under a 2024 law.

“The deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed,” Trump said, explaining why he was extending the deadline he set in January that was supposed to expire Saturday. “We hope to continue working in good faith with China, who I understand is not very happy about our reciprocal tariffs.”

China now faces a 54% tariff on goods imported into the United States. Trump has said he would be willing to reduce tariffs on China to get a deal done with ByteDance.

The White House-led talks on the future of TikTok, which is used by about half of all Americans, are coalescing around a plan for the biggest non-Chinese investors in parent company ByteDance to increase their stakes and acquire the app’s U.S. operations, Reuters has reported.

The plan entails spinning off a U.S. entity for TikTok and diluting Chinese ownership in the new business to below the 20 percent threshold required by U.S. law, rescuing the app from a looming U.S. ban, sources have told Reuters.

Jeff Yass’ Susquehanna International Group and Bill Ford’s General Atlantic, both of which are represented on ByteDance’s board, are leading discussions with the White House, Reuters has reported.