TikTok will continue operating in the United States – what a surprise!

On Monday, Donald Trump indicated on his social network, Truth, that the trade summit with China held in Madrid had gone “very well” and that an agreement had been reached regarding a “certain” company that young Americans wanted to save. As we have learned subsequently, that company is none other than the popular platform TikTok, which is widely used by young Americans.

Several hours later, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed from Madrid that a framework agreement has been reached, which must be formalized in a conversation between Trump and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, this Friday. The agreement will allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States under American-controlled ownership, thereby fulfilling the main requirement of the Trump administration.

This announcement comes just before the ban against the Chinese company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, was set to take effect—a ban that would have required the sale of its U.S. subsidiary. Trump had postponed the measure several times, using the negotiation surrounding the platform as a strategic tool within the context of the trade war with China.

However, the great question now looming over the table concerns the identity of the entity or consortium that will assume such ownership. This decision will be essential not only to ensure the continued operation of the popular platform, but also to determine the future management of the data of millions of American users. The selection of this new owner will be closely observed by both administrations, as it must meet Washington’s stringent national security requirements while not discouraging cooperation from Beijing, thus adding a new layer of complexity to the commercial relationship between the two powers.

The tariff war, still unsolved

Although the agreement concerning TikTok represents a positive step, the tariffs and other trade disputes between both powers remain unresolved. Existing duties continue at significant levels, and the negotiation period is expected to conclude in November, with the risk of renewed tensions if a consensus is not reached. It should be recalled that, in the few months since Trump began his second term as President of the United States, tariff tensions have been a constant, generating a serious situation of uncertainty and instability that has affected the entire world.