TikTok’s High Stakes Battle Against U.S. Ban Threatens Worldwide Expansion

TikTok fears exclusion from Canada and U.K. markets if U.S. ban proceeds

American consumers contributed about 8.6% to TikTok’s total gross merchandise volume in its e-commerce business globally in 2023.

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TikTok is desperately lobbying in Washington to stop a bill that would force a sale of the popular short-video app by its Chinese owner ByteDance Ltd. or face a ban in the U.S. TikTok fears not only losing the world’s largest consumer market but also a domino effect that could see other countries imposing similar bans.

The bill passed March 13 by the U.S. House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate that would force the parent company to sell TikTok within 180 days or face a nationwide ban. If the U.S. bans TikTok, then Canada and the U.K. may follow the suit, which is the biggest concern for ByteDance shareholders, according to a person close to TikTok’s top management.