Trump floats easing tariffs on China in return for TikTok deal [View all]

Source: The Guardian/Reuters

Thu 27 Mar 2025 02.03 EDT
Last modified on Thu 27 Mar 2025 02.23 EDT


Donald Trump has said he would be willing to reduce tariffs on China to get a deal done with TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the social media app used by 170 million Americans.

He acknowledged the role China would play in any agreement. “With respect to TikTok, and China is going to have to play a role in that, possibly in the form of an approval, maybe, and I think they’ll do that,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done,” he added.

Trump’s comment suggests the sale of TikTok’s is a priority for his administration and important enough to use tariffs as a bargaining chip with Beijing. TikTok did not immediately comment.

ByteDance has a 5 April deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer for TikTok or face a US ban on national security grounds that was supposed to have taken effect in January under a 2024 law.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/27/donald-trump-china-tariffs-tiktok-deal