U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday extended the deadline to September 17 for ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to divest the app’s U.S. assets. This extension comes despite a law requiring the sale or shutdown of TikTok in the U.S. without significant progress.
Trump signed an executive order delaying the original deadline, which was set for Thursday, by 90 days—a move he had previously indicated.
The Republican president had already granted two extensions earlier, postponing enforcement of a law that mandated TikTok’s sale or shutdown by January, unless significant progress was made toward divestment.
Trump has expressed a desire to keep TikTok operational in the U.S., noting the app helped him gain young voters in the 2024 presidential election. He also voiced optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve a deal preserving TikTok’s presence in the U.S., although it is unclear how much the issue has been discussed amid ongoing tariff disputes between the two countries.
TikTok released a statement expressing gratitude for Trump’s support in keeping the app available. The company said it is continuing discussions with U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s office.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the extension provides “more time to make a good deal.” She added that legal experts at the White House and Department of Justice support the extension’s legality.
On Tuesday, Trump had indicated he would likely extend the deadline and expressed hope for China’s approval of the sale. “I think President Xi will ultimately approve it,” he said.
The 2024 law required TikTok to cease operations in the U.S. by January 19 unless ByteDance had divested U.S. assets or made substantial progress toward a sale. Trump, who began his second term on January 20, chose not to enforce the law and previously extended the deadline twice: once to early April and again last month to June 19.
Earlier this year, Trump offered to reduce tariffs on China to facilitate a deal for TikTok’s U.S. operations, which currently serve 170 million Americans. A planned deal would spin off TikTok’s U.S. business into a new company majority-owned by U.S. investors but was paused after China indicated it would not approve it amid tariff tensions.
Some Democratic lawmakers argue that Trump lacks legal authority to extend the deadline and question whether the proposed deal would comply with legal requirements.