President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening he might give China “a little reduction in tariffs” if its government approves a TikTok deal his administration brokered.
“China is going to have to play a role in that,” he said at a news conference at the White House, “possibly in the form of an approval, maybe, and I think they’ll do that.”
Trump had signed a memorandum in February calling for “fair and reciprocal” trade tariffs on all major U.S. trading partners, including longtime allies. He previously announced that April 2, when sweeping trade levies are announced, would be “Liberation Day in America.”
The fate of the short-video app in the United States has been up in the air since last year, following the passage of a bipartisan law signed by President Joe Biden. Citing national security concerns, the legislation forces the platform’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese buyer or face a nationwide ban.
Asked about Trump’s remarks on Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry referred to past comments that TikTok has always complied with U.S. laws and regulations and the U.S. should provide an open and nondiscriminatory environment for businesses from all countries.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun also repeated China’s position that “trade wars and tariff battles produce no winners.”
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s latest remarks.
The company had challenged the potential ban, but the Supreme Court upheld it in the final days of the Biden administration. The app briefly went dark in the U.S. just before Trump’s inauguration, but restored service after the president signaled he would review the ban.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order giving the app and ByteDance until April 5 to sell TikTok or divest it.
ByteDance has not commented publicly since Trump signed the Jan. 20 order. The company also has not confirmed any willingness to sell the app.
Since the executive order was signed, Vice President JD Vance has been working with national security adviser Michael Waltz to find a buyer. Vance told NBC News this month that he was confident of reaching a deal with a new owner by the upcoming deadline.
In recent months, rumors have continued to swirl about potential buyers for TikTok, which has millions of users and has been valued at up to $50 billion. Several suitors have also put their names in the running for a bid, including Wyoming billionaire Reid Rasner.
“We will find the one that’s best, best for the country,” Trump said Wednesday. “I’m worried about our country more than anything else with respect to TikTok.”
