Overview

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 4, extending the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. operations to mid-June 2025.
• The extension follows China's disapproval of a proposed deal, citing concerns over U.S. tariff increases, which now total 54%.
• Negotiations had nearly finalized a plan to spin off TikTok's U.S. business into a new, majority U.S.-owned entity, with ByteDance retaining less than 20% ownership.
• ByteDance confirmed that no agreement has been finalized and emphasized that any deal would require approval under Chinese law.
• The situation underscores broader U.S.-China tensions, as lawmakers cite national security concerns over TikTok's Chinese ownership and data practices.