Costco Wholesale returns from Ottawa as tariff strategy takes shape

Costco Wholesale flew from Ottawa’s Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to its home base at Boeing Field in Seattle on Monday, May 18, a 4-hour-47-minute Gulfstream G280 flight that arrived at 9:50 a.m. local time. The trip came a day after the company’s aircraft had flown from the Washington, D.C., area to Ottawa, suggesting meetings with Canadian officials or regulators.

The same week, Costco is navigating the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s February ruling that struck down IEEPA tariffs, a decision that has triggered a complex refund process for billions in duties paid since 2025. As reported by Digital Commerce 360 and The Globe and Mail, CEO Ron Vachris told investors in March that the company is “acting with great agility” on tariffs, moving production and leaning on Kirkland Signature to mitigate costs—a strategy that now includes face-to-face talks with key trading partners like Canada.

This Ottawa-to-Seattle leg fits a pattern of recent political-engagement travel by Costco’s fleet. Earlier in May, the same G280 visited San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Washington, D.C., area, reflecting the company’s need to manage both federal trade policy and cross-border logistics with Canada, home to more than 100 Costco warehouses. The return to Issaquah headquarters suggests the trip’s purpose was likely briefings or negotiations, not a public event.