TikTok to enter online shopping business in Japan to expand outside US

Chinese social media giant TikTok plans to launch online shopping in Japan within the next few months, Japanese daily Nikkei reported on Sunday. The move marks TikTok’s push to grow its business beyond the US. 

In March, TikTok launched TikTok Shop in France, Germany, and Italy, expanding its reach across Europe. According to the news report, TikTok will soon start inviting sellers in Japan to join its e-commerce platform.

 

What is the TikTok Shop?

 

On TikTok Shop, users can sell products ranging from sneakers to makeup essentials through live videos and earn money from sales. Many of the products are offered at discounted prices, according to the Reuters. 

 

 

TikTok is trying to grow its business outside the US, where it is still waiting for a final deal that will allow it to continue operating. 

 

TikTok’s uncertain future in US

 

TikTok, the popular video app owned by China’s ByteDance, has been facing major pressure in the US. Last week, US President Donald Trump said any decision about TikTok might take more time. He also talked about ending the trade fight between the US and China that has affected global markets, as mentioned in the Reuters’s report.

 

Earlier, Trump had given TikTok more time to sell its US operations. The 2024 law says TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, must sell the app by January 19. Almost half of Americans use TikTok, making its future very important for many people. 

 

In April 2024, the US government passed a law called the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" (PAFACA). This law says that TikTok must sell its US business to a US company by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. 

 

TikTok battles US crackdown

 

TikTok challenged the law, saying it violated free speech rights, but the US Supreme Court ruled against TikTok, agreeing that national security concerns are more important, according to a report by The Guardian. 

 

As a result, TikTok was briefly removed from US app stores on January 19. However, Trump, after returning to office, delayed the ban twice by signing executive orders to give TikTok more time to find a buyer. At the same time, TikTok has been working internally to adjust its US operations while looking for a US partner. 

 

There have been talks about setting up a joint venture where TikTok could continue operating with US investors involved, but the deal still needs approval from both US and Chinese governments, according to a report by Reuters.