US President Donald Trump on Thursday prolonged to September 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US belongings of short-video app TikTok regardless of a legislation that mandated a sale or shutdown with out vital progress.
Trump signed an govt order pushing again Thursday’s deadline for 90 days, a step he had beforehand signaled.
The Republican president had already twice granted a reprieve from federal enforcement of a legislation that mandated the sale or shutdown of TikTok that was speculated to take impact in January, absent vital progress towards a sale.
Trump has mentioned he desires to maintain the app, which helped him woo younger voters within the 2024 presidential election, energetic within the US.
He has additionally expressed optimism that Chinese language President Xi Jinping would approve a deal that preserves the app, although it’s unclear how considerably the subject has featured within the two international locations’ ongoing talks to resolve a tariff dispute.
“We’re grateful for President Trump’s management and assist in making certain that TikTok continues to be obtainable,” TikTok mentioned in a press release posted on its web site.
The corporate mentioned it’s persevering with to work with US Vice President JD Vance’s workplace on the matter.
“It is extra time; extra time to make an excellent deal,” White Home spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters at a briefing on Thursday. She added that White Home legal professionals and the Division of Justice believed the extension was on sturdy authorized footing.
Leavitt mentioned on Tuesday that, “President Trump doesn’t need TikTok to go darkish,” and added the administration would spend the subsequent three months ensuring the sale closes and protects US shoppers’ information.
Trump had mentioned on Tuesday he would “most likely” lengthen the deadline. “Most likely should get China approval, however I believe we’ll get it,” he instructed reporters aboard Air Pressure One. “I believe President Xi will in the end approve it.”
A 2024 legislation required TikTok to cease working by January 19 until TikTok’s Chinese language mum or dad ByteDance had accomplished divesting the app’s US belongings or demonstrated vital progress towards a sale.
Trump started his second time period as president on January 20 and opted to not implement the legislation. He first prolonged the deadline to early April, after which once more final month to June 19.
In March, Trump mentioned he can be keen to scale back tariffs on China to get a deal carried out with ByteDance to promote the short-video app utilized by 170 million People.
A deal had been within the works this spring that may spin off TikTok’s US operations into a brand new US-based agency, majority-owned and operated by US buyers, but it surely was placed on maintain after China indicated it will not approve it following Trump’s bulletins of steep tariffs on Chinese language items.
Some Democratic lawmakers argue that Trump has no authorized authority to increase the deadline and counsel that the deal into consideration wouldn’t meet authorized necessities.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
