US President Donald Trump gave TikTok 75 days to line up a US partner, suggesting proposed tariffs on China could depend on its parent ByteDance working out a suitable deal, Financial Times reported.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order upholding a pledge to save the short-form video platform from a shutdown after China-based ByteDance failed to sell off its US assets.

The President noted if China does not approve a deal, he could “certainly” put tariffs on the nation.

President Trump previously mooted establishing a joint venture in which the US would hold a 50 per cent stake in TikTok.

TikTok resumed service in the US after being halted on 18 January, the day before a US law banning it came into force.

Trump has reportedly said for months he is considering putting high tariffs on imports from China.

TikTok unsuccessfully appealed US legislation passed in 2024 to ban the service unless a local buyer was found, as the nation argued its Chinese ownership poses a national security risk.