Recent diplomatic efforts between the United States and China suggest that talks over TikTok and trade issues at large remain contentious and slow-going, prolonging uncertainty for businesses regarding the trajectory of tariffs, supply chain disruptions and export restrictions. On Sept. 19, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone about trade issues and the upcoming U.S. deadline for Chinese internet technology company ByteDance to divest from its popular TikTok social media app or face a U.S.-wide ban on the platform. Despite earlier reports from both sides that trade officials had reached an agreement to prevent TikTok's shutdown in the U.S. market, readouts from the Xi-Trump phone call on Sept. 19 did not confirm the contents of the TikTok deal, nor did they suggest the deal was truly finalized. The initial reports of an agreement had surfaced following the fourth round of talks this year between U.S....
