With the clock ticking on the fate of TikTok in the U.S., former President Donald Trump is once again using his favorite negotiation tool—tariffs—as leverage to pressure China into making a deal.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump hinted that he’s open to easing the heavy tariff burden he just slapped on China—if Beijing gives Washington something “phenomenal” in return. One clear example? A TikTok deal.
“We’ve got the TikTok situation,” Trump said. “China might say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but can you do something about the tariffs?’”
Tariffs Are ‘Great Power to Negotiate’
He wasn’t shy about the strategy either. “The tariffs give us great power to negotiate,” Trump told reporters, underscoring a tactic he’s leaned on heavily throughout his political career.
Still, when asked point-blank if he was currently negotiating a tariff-for-TikTok swap with China, Trump said no. But that doesn’t mean it’s off the table. He’s floated similar ideas before. Back in March, during a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump mused: “Maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done… because every point in tariffs is worth more money than TikTok.”
The urgency is real. The U.S. Senate has already passed a law demanding that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sell the social media giant or face a full-on ban. That deadline? April 5.
Trump, now back in the White House, delayed the ban by 75 days with an executive order in January—but that grace period is almost over.
TikTok Buyers Growing
Meanwhile, the list of potential TikTok buyers keeps growing. Among those reportedly interested: former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, ex-Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and even YouTuber MrBeast. There are also whispers of last-minute bids from Amazon and the owner of OnlyFans.
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Thursday that a deal is likely before the deadline hits.
But while the TikTok drama plays out, Trump’s tariff war with China is escalating fast. Just this week, he hiked tariffs on Chinese imports from 20% to a staggering 54%, after earlier imposing a blanket 10% tariff on imports from all countries.
China hasn’t taken it lying down. It responded to earlier tariffs with its own strikes—hitting U.S. crude oil, pork, soybeans, and even chicken with fresh tariffs.
Following the latest blow, China’s Commerce Ministry warned that it will “resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests.”
Their message to Trump? End the tariffs and come to the table.
“Trade wars have no winners, and protectionism has no way out,” the ministry said in a statement.
As of now, China hasn’t revealed its next move—but with tensions running high and the TikTok deadline looming, both sides are bracing for what comes next.
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