TikTok owner ByteDance’s overseas sales jump in 2024 despite US hurdles: report

ByteDance’s total revenue is said to have risen to US$155 billion last year, placing the unicorn among the world’s top internet giants

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TikTok’s offices in Culver City, California. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:00pm, 11 Apr 2025

TikTok’s parent ByteDance is said to have recorded a 63 per cent surge in overseas sales in 2024, driven primarily by the short-video app’s growth, in a sign that the Chinese social media giant remains resilient despite political headwinds in the US.

ByteDance’s overseas revenue reached US$39 billion last year, with TikTok accounting for most of the sales, according to a report on Thursday by US tech media outlet The Information. ByteDance, China’s largest unicorn, does not publicly disclose its financial performance. The company did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

International markets made up a quarter of ByteDance’s total sales, which rose 29 per cent to US$155 billion, according to the report.

The performance places the firm among the world’s top internet companies, alongside US social media powerhouse Meta Platforms, which generated US$164.5 billion last year, and is nearly double the revenue of its Chinese competitor Tencent Holdings, which posted US$91.9 billion in sales.

Beijing has reportedly instructed ByteDance to hold off on signing a deal to divest TikTok’s US assets due to the new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

ByteDance has been expanding its TikTok Shop e-commerce business to more overseas markets, including Spain and Ireland last year, to compete with brands like Shein and Temu.