NEW: Trump to sign EO to keep TikTok running for 75 more days to finalize deal with China

Trump posted on Truth Social, "My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we have made tremendous progress. The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days."

"We hope to continue working in Good Faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our Reciprocal Tariffs (Necessary for Fair and Balanced Trade between China and the USA!). This proves that Tariffs are the most powerful Economic tool, and very important to our National Security! We do not want TikTok to 'go dark.' We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the Deal. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump added.

A law banning the app unless ByteDance divested or sold its stake in the social media platform was approved by Congress last year, but then ByteDance as well as some users sued the US government on free speech grounds. The Supreme Court ruled that the law did not interfere with the free speech rights of the company, and the ban was set to go forward earlier in 2025, the day before Trump's inauguration.

Trump extended the deadline of the ban, and then worked with some companies based in the US to purchase the social media app. That deadline for the TikTok ban was set to be April 5, but Trump is set to sign an executive order to extend it another 75 days.

The order comes as Trump is also trying to negotiate trade deals with countries after he announced the "Liberation Day" reciprocal tariffs earlier this week. He indicated on Thursday that he was open to lifting tariffs on Chinese imports to the US if China would approve the sale of TikTok.

Although the sale of the app has not taken place, China retaliated against the 34 percent tariff that Trump placed on Chinese goods imported to the US and imposed an extra tariff of 34 percent on American goods being imported to China.