Taking Chinese traders on TikTok precautionary measures to prepare for an impending ban of the video app in the United States. Some switch to Amazon or Shein.
Qian Liu, a Chinese seller who has twelve stores on TikTok aimed at American consumers, has postponed the lease of a new office and the recruitment of new staff until it is clear whether the video app will still be available after Sunday.
However, a trader named Xia has already started selling on Amazon, Shein and other platforms to hedge against a US ban on TikTok. He’s not alone.
Many users are switching to the RedNotes-appwhich has been around for years. The app mainly has shopping functions aimed at wealthy Chinese women who can buy products from abroad via the app, but also has all the functions that TikTok has. Unlike Tiktok, there are no offices or servers outside of China.
TikTok is opposing a law signed by US President Joe Biden last April requiring ByteDance to divest its US operations. If this does not happen, a ban will follow. ByteDance has not yet arranged anything before the deadline on January 19.
Beijing could agree to a sale if ByteDance could remain a passive owner and retain some control over its algorithms, in exchange for some relief from the tariffs likely to be imposed by Trump, former US diplomat and think tank analyst James Lewis told Reuters last month to National Public Radio.
TikTok’s fate depends on the US Supreme Court, which has yet to rule. Bloomberg reported, based on sources, that a ‘possible scenario’ for China is to bring TikTok under Musk’s platform X, but ByteDance denies this.
TikTok is from plan to continue paying American workers even if the Supreme Court upholds the ban. Existing users can continue to use the app in the US even after the ban.
Source: www.emerce.nl
