President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the U.S. operations of TikTok, granting an additional 75 days for negotiations. The extension, announced on Truth Social on Friday, pushes the deadline to mid-June, marking the second time Trump has taken such action since assuming office.

Trump Says, “We Do Not Want TikTok to Go Dark”

In his statement, Trump emphasized the need for more time to finalize a deal, citing the complexity of necessary approvals.

“A transaction requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days,” he wrote.

The decision comes amid ongoing discussions involving several potential buyers for TikTok’s U.S. assets, including Oracle, AppLovin, Amazon, and a group of private equity firms led by Andreessen Horowitz and Blackstone. Other contenders include billionaire Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty and a proposal from AI startup Perplexity to merge with TikTok’s U.S. operations.

The National Security concern regarding TikTok

TikTok, which has over 170 million users in the U.S., has long been under scrutiny due to national security concerns over its Chinese ownership. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed into law in April 2024 by former President Joe Biden, mandated ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban.

Initially, the deadline was January 19, 2025, but Trump, after taking office, issued an executive order extending it to April 5. With no deal finalized, the president has now pushed the deadline further to ensure TikTok remains operational while negotiations continue.

Apple, Google, and the Temporary Ban

In January, just before the original deadline expired, Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores, and the platform temporarily shut down for American users. However, Trump swiftly intervened, signing an executive order that led to TikTok’s return to app stores in February.

While TikTok has not commented on the latest extension, the Chinese government’s approval remains a key factor in finalizing any sale.

Trade Tensions and Trump’s Tariff Strategy

The deadline extension comes just two days after Trump signed a far-reaching “reciprocal tariff” policy, raising tariffs on Chinese imports to 54%. The president linked the TikTok negotiations to his broader trade agenda, stating:

“This proves that tariffs are the most powerful economic tool, and very important to our national security! We hope to continue working in good faith with China.”

Trump has previously suggested that reducing China tariffs could be a bargaining chip in facilitating the TikTok deal.

With a new mid-June deadline, potential buyers now have more time to finalize their bids and secure regulatory approvals. Vice President J.D. Vance had earlier suggested that an agreement could be reached before the April deadline, stating:

“There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that satisfies our national security concerns, allowing for a distinct American TikTok enterprise.”

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