On May 11, international giant Merck issued a notice stating that due to the impact of the Sino-US trade tariff policy, a temporary surcharge will be imposed on all product orders shipped to China starting from May 12.
Merck, as a global technology giant with a profound history, has business in three key areas: life sciences, pharmaceuticals and health, and electronic technology. Since its founding in 1668, Merck, headquartered in Germany, has occupied a pivotal position in the global market with its outstanding technological innovation capabilities and extensive product portfolio.

The Chinese market is of great significance to Merck, whose development history in this land can be traced back more than 90 years ago. Currently, Merck has nearly 4,500 employees in China, with a wide range of business layout, including 21 registered companies in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou, Nantong, Hong Kong, etc., building a complete industrial chain integrating R&D, production and sales, working hand in hand with the Chinese market and deeply integrating into the wave of China's scientific and industrial development.

With the complex changes in Sino-US trade relations in 2025, trade frictions have continued to escalate, and both sides have imposed tariffs in turn, causing severe impacts on the global industrial chain and supply chain. Merck is in such a macroeconomic and trade environment, and its global procurement, production and sales links are inevitably affected.

Faced with the pressure of continued rising costs, Merck was forced to make the difficult decision to impose temporary surcharges on orders shipped to China in order to maintain the stability of its own operations and a balance between profitability.

The reversal came soon. The joint statement of tariff reduction between China and the United States on May 12 brought a turning point to the situation. China and the United States reached a consensus in the high-level economic and trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, and announced the reduction of some previously imposed tariffs. Specifically, the United States will amend the relevant executive order to suspend the implementation of the 24% tariff on some Chinese goods for the initial 90 days, while retaining the 10% tariff and canceling other additional tariffs; China also adjusted its policy accordingly, suspending the implementation of the 24% tariff on American goods for 90 days, retaining the 10% tariff, and canceling other corresponding additional tariffs.

The news of tariff reduction may bring new opportunities to multinational companies such as Merck.

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