Trump says China could get tariff relief if it approves TikTok deal
‘We could use tariffs … to get something in return,’ Trump said. TikTok faces April 5 deadline to find non-Chinese buyer or risk US ban.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would consider a deal for TikTok where China agrees to approve the sale of the short video app owned by ByteDance in exchange for relief from US tariffs on Chinese imports.
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Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump used TikTok as an example of how tariffs can be used to negotiate with other countries.
“You have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say: ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’” Trump said. “We could use tariffs in order to get something in return.”
TikTok faces an April 5 deadline to reach a deal to find a non-Chinese buyer under threat of being banned from the United States.
Trump said his administration is “very close” to reaching a deal on TikTok, with multiple investors involved.
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Trump made the comments a day after he announced a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports to the United States and higher duties on some of the country’s biggest trading partners.