TikTok Ban Delayed Again? Trump Signals Willingness to Extend Deadline Amid US-China Tariff Dispute

US President Donald Trump stated that he would extend the 19 June deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok if no deal is reached by that date.

“I would… I’d like to see it done,” Trump told the NBC News programme Meet the Press with Kristen Welker in an interview taped on Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, airing across the US on Sunday.

Trump has already postponed a TikTok ban twice. He said he had a “sweet spot” for the short-video app, used by 170 million Americans, after it helped him connect with young voters in the 2024 presidential election, adding: “TikTok is — it’s very interesting, but it will be protected.”

US-Based TikTok

A deal to spin off TikTok’s US operations into a new US-based company, majority owned and operated by American investors, was paused after China signalled it would not approve the transaction, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of steep tariffs on Chinese imports.

Democratic senators assert that Trump lacks the legal authority to extend the deadline and argue that the proposed deal does not comply with legal requirements.

One source close to ByteDance’s US investors indicated last month that efforts on the potential deal continue ahead of the 19 June deadline, but the tariff dispute between the White House and Beijing must be resolved first.

US President Donald Trump told NBC News that China is interested in reaching an agreement, citing the economic impact of 145 % tariffs on Chinese imports.

TikTok Ban

Last year, Congress passed legislation banning TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, divested the short-form video app. The ban briefly took effect in January, causing TikTok to disappear temporarily. President Trump then announced a 90-day delay of the ban, expressing a preference for a joint venture with US ownership.

US authorities have consistently warned that TikTok poses a national security risk, citing concerns that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on Americans or manipulate public opinion by amplifying or censoring specific content.

When the second deadline arrived in April, US President Donald Trump granted the company a further 75-day extension, noting that the Chinese government, which must approve the transaction, was “not very happy about our reciprocal tariffs.”

TikTok has consistently denied allegations of spying or manipulating public sentiment. The company asserts that it operates independently and is not influenced by any government, including the Chinese government.