00:00Consumers in Italy, France and here in Germany are now able to make purchases using the TikTok e-commerce platform.
00:09The site allows businesses, brands and creators to market their product direct to TikTok users,
00:15with sellers ranging from individual craft sellers and small to medium-sized enterprises
00:20to luxury goods stores selling second-hand designer handbags.
00:24The shop has been active in the United Kingdom since 2021
00:28and speaking to the Reuters news agency, the head of operations at TikTok Shop UK
00:33said they hope to slide right into the European e-commerce ecosystem.
00:38My own expectation for Europe is to launch with more speed than we did in the UK
00:43because in the UK four years ago, this model was very new.
00:47We had to do a lot of education. We had to try out a lot of things to try and get the right fit.
00:55This European expansion comes as the hours are ticking down for TikTok's future in the United States.
01:00President Donald Trump has given ByteDance, the Chinese parent company,
01:04until the end of this week to find an American buyer or face being blocked in the United States.
01:10The president has signaled that he expects a deal to be completed by the end of this week
01:15for TikTok to be purchased by an American entity.
01:18But he has also suggested that if it appears that negotiations are progressing,
01:22the deadline that is currently set for Saturday could be extended.
01:26Peter Oliver, CGTN, Berlin.
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