📱 TikTok’s fate in the U.S. remains uncertain—but it’s not over yet. President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations for a second time, granting the company an additional 75 days to finalize a deal or face a nationwide ban. This gives TikTok until mid-June 2025 to comply.

The move comes just days after Trump signed a sweeping “reciprocal tariff” policy, slapping a 34% tariff on Chinese imports, sending shockwaves through global markets and escalating the U.S.-China trade war. The combined tariff rate on Chinese goods now sits at a staggering 54%, factoring in the previous 20% tariff established years ago.

“The TikTok deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark.’”

This extension keeps TikTok accessible to American users—for now. But the pressure is rising on ByteDance, which is currently navigating both U.S. national security scrutiny and Chinese regulatory approval.

Who’s Bidding for TikTok?

Several U.S.-based companies and investor groups are in ongoing negotiations to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, including:

• Oracle and AppLovin are both tech firms with cloud and ad infrastructure.
• Amazon, which made a last-minute bid earlier this week.
• A private equity consortium involving Andreessen Horowitz, Blackstone, and General Atlantic, which may take a majority stake.
• Project Liberty, led by billionaire Frank McCourt and supported by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, as well as Perplexity AI.

Despite the interest, ByteDance has not signed a deal. A spokesperson for the company told CNBC:

“There are key matters to be resolved. An agreement has not been executed.”

The Executive Order That Changed Everything

The original divestment deadline was January 19, 2025, but Trump issued an executive order when he took office that delayed enforcement until April 5. However, major app stores like Apple and Google preemptively removed TikTok just before the deadline. TikTok temporarily went dark—before returning to app stores in February after Trump announced his willingness to grant more time.

In this latest update, Trump instructed the Attorney General to continue pausing enforcement, despite the underlying national security law passed by President Biden in 2024, which targeted foreign-owned tech platforms.

How Tariffs and TikTok Are Intertwined

The TikTok saga is playing out as part of a larger geopolitical chess match. Trump has explicitly tied trade policy to the platform’s future, suggesting tariffs are a tool to push China toward agreement.

“Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool,” Trump stated on Truth Social. “We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs.”

Experts warn that while tariffs may apply pressure, they also risk backlash—U.S. retailers are already reporting rising costs for essential goods like bananas, coffee, and toilet paper.

What Comes Next?

There’s cautious optimism in Washington. Vice President JD Vance told NBC News last month that a framework for a U.S.-owned TikTok might soon be in place:

“There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that satisfies our national security concerns,” Vance said. “We’re working toward a distinct American TikTok enterprise.”

With the deadline now extended to mid-June, all eyes are on ByteDance, China’s regulators, and the mounting pressure from multiple bidders.

For now, TikTok remains online—but its future in America is still hanging by a thread.