Donald Trump has postponed enforcement of the TikTok sale-or-ban law by another 75 days, just hours before the ban was set to take effect.
The delay follows a breakdown in a deal to transfer control of TikTok's US operations to American ownership, after Trump’s surprise announcement of additional tariffs on China triggered renewed uncertainty.
The Trump administration had been working towards a resolution that would have seen a consortium of US investors and tech firms acquire control of TikTok’s US business, with China-based parent company ByteDance retaining a minority 20% stake.
That structure complied with legal requirements preventing coordination with ByteDance on data or algorithm management.
Tariffs halt deal
A source familiar with the negotiations said an executive order to formalise the agreement had been prepared, but Beijing signalled a pause in its support following the tariff announcement.
The law mandating TikTok’s divestiture was signed by former President Joe Biden in 2024, requiring ByteDance to relinquish ownership or face a US ban, citing national security concerns.
Trump had already granted a 75-day delay upon taking office in January, with the latest extension indicating continued hope for a deal amid strained US-China relations.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration had made “tremendous progress” on a deal to “save TikTok”, but more time was needed to secure final approvals.
The delay allows TikTok’s 170 million American users to continue accessing the platform while negotiations resume.
But with no clear path forward and intensifying trade tensions, questions remain about the app’s long-term future in the United States.
ByteDance acknowledged ongoing discussions but said that “key matters” remained unresolved and that any agreement would still require approval under Chinese law.