Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Apr 5: After months of backroom negotiations, a deal to transfer control of TikTok’s US operations to a new American-majority company has hit a roadblock, following renewed tensions in US - China trade relations.

According to senior US administration officials, the agreement involving major American investors including Oracle, Blackstone, and Andreessen Horowitz had been finalized with ByteDance and backed by President Donald Trump’s administration. The deal would allow ByteDance to retain a minority stake under the 20% threshold mandated by Congress.

President Trump was scheduled to sign an executive order this week to formalize the agreement, which would then trigger a 120-day period to complete the deal’s financing and paperwork. But just hours before the anticipated signing, the US President announced new tariffs against China a move that caused a sharp turn in the negotiations.

On Thursday morning, representatives from ByteDance informed the White House that the Chinese government would withhold its approval of the deal until further talks on the tariffs were held. As a result, the agreement is now stalled, entangled in the broader trade dispute between the two global powers.

On Friday, Trump responded by extending the deadline for ByteDance to sell or restructure TikTok’s US operations by an additional 75 days, moving it beyond the earlier April 5 deadline. This is the second time the administration has postponed the deadline since Trump returned to office.

Sources told ABC News that the TikTok negotiations were led by vice president JD Vance. While the deal is not currently being renegotiated, both the investors and the White House remain committed to the agreed terms.

Observers say the future of TikTok’s US operations now hinges on the outcome of ongoing US-China trade discussions. Until then, the app’s fate in the American market remains uncertain.