TikTok Sale Deal: Last Chance Before Saturday Deadline

Final Call: TikTok Sale Deal Before Saturday Deadline

​President Donald Trump has announced that a deal for the sale of TikTok is expected to be finalized before the April 5 deadline. This deadline was established in January, requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity or face a ban due to national security concerns.

Multiple potential buyers have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations. Private equity firm Blackstone is considering a minor investment and plans to join existing non-Chinese shareholders, including Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, in bidding for the platform.

To facilitate the sale, President Trump has indicated a willingness to reduce tariffs on China, acknowledging that China’s approval may be necessary for the transaction. He stated, “We have a lot of potential buyers… I might give China a little reduction in tariffs to make it happen.”

Vice President JD Vance is leading the negotiations, aiming to ensure TikTok remains operational in the U.S. while addressing national security concerns. The administration is confident that an agreement will be reached by the deadline.

However, some lawmakers have urged President Trump to seek Congressional authority to extend the deadline, arguing that previous extensions were unlawful and expressing concerns about the app’s future. They propose increasing the stakes of non-Chinese investors in ByteDance and creating a separate U.S. entity for TikTok to reduce Chinese ownership.

As the deadline approaches, the outcome of these negotiations will significantly impact TikTok’s 170 million American users and the broader tech industry.