Muhammed Selim Korkutata | Anadolu | Getty Images
President Donald Trump indicated that he might lower tariffs on China to expedite a deal that could lead to ByteDance divesting its U.S. TikTok operations.
During a press conference Wednesday, Trump mentioned that China “needs to be involved” in the approval process for a TikTok-related divestiture.
“Perhaps I will consider a slight reduction in tariffs or something to finalize this,” Trump stated. “TikTok is significant, but every tariff point holds more value than TikTok.”
Despite a national security mandate requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations to avoid a potential ban, Trump signed an executive order in January pushing the deadline for a deal to April 5. He has previously expressed a desire for the U.S. to hold a 50% stake in TikTok through a joint venture.
Trump also suggested on Wednesday the possibility of extending the TikTok deadline again.
“We will have a form of agreement, but if it’s not completed, it’s not a major issue,” Trump remarked.
“We can simply extend it.”
Earlier this month, Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence to NBC News that a TikTok agreement will be achieved before the April deadline.
“A high-level agreement will almost certainly emerge, addressing our national security concerns, while allowing for an American version of TikTok,” Vance suggested.
WATCH: The TikTok bid remains ‘in active discussions’ with the Trump administration.
