WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump has granted TikTok another reprieve, extending the deadline for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations.

The move allows the popular short-video app to keep running in the country until at least mid-September, despite a law mandating a sale or shutdown in the absence of significant progress.

Trump this week extended the deadline by 90 days to September 17, signing an executive order that delays enforcement of the law for the third time.

The Republican president had already twice granted a reprieve from federal enforcement of a law that mandated the sale or shutdown of TikTok. The law was supposed to take effect in January unless ByteDance showed meaningful progress toward divesting the app's U.S. assets.

Trump has said he wants to keep the app, which helped him connect with young voters during the 2024 presidential election, available in the United States.

He has also voiced optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping would approve a deal to preserve the app, although it's unclear how prominently the issue features in broader trade talks between Washington and Beijing.

"We are grateful for President Trump's leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available," TikTok said in a statement posted on its website.

The company added that it is working closely with the office of U.S. Vice President JD Vance on the matter.

"President Trump will sign an additional executive order this week to keep TikTok up and running," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday.

"President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark," she added, noting that the administration will use the next three months to finalise the sale and ensure American users' data remains secure.

Trump said that he would "probably, yeah" extend the deadline. "Probably have to get China approval but I think we'll get it," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. "I think President Xi will ultimately approve it."

A 2024 law had required TikTok to cease operations in the U.S. by January 19 unless ByteDance had completed a sale or made significant progress.

Trump, now in his second term, opted not to enforce the deadline. He extended it first to April, then to June 19, and now to September.

In March, Trump said he would consider easing tariffs on China to help advance a deal to transfer TikTok's U.S. operations to a domestic entity. The proposed structure involved spinning off the platform into a new firm, majority-owned and run by U.S. investors.

That plan stalled after Beijing signalled disapproval, particularly in response to Trump's newly announced tariffs on Chinese goods.

Some Democratic lawmakers argue that Trump lacks the legal authority to keep delaying enforcement, and say the deal under consideration may not satisfy legal standards set in the 2024 law.