Quick answer: No. China does not own Costco. Costco's current official investor materials identify the company as a Washington corporation that is publicly traded on Nasdaq under the ticker COST, with its home office in Issaquah, Washington.
The old version of this topic spent too much time on Costco's China expansion. The cleaner 2026 answer is simpler: Costco operates internationally, but it is not a Chinese-owned company.
Table Of Contents
Does China own Costco?
No. China does not own Costco.
Costco's own investor company profile says the business is a Washington corporation and a publicly traded company under the Nasdaq ticker COST.
Why do people ask this?
Because Costco operates internationally and has expanded into China, which can make some shoppers assume the Chinese market presence means Chinese ownership. But operating in a country is not the same thing as being owned by that country.
What is Costco then?
Costco is Costco Wholesale Corporation, a membership-warehouse retailer with its corporate home office in Issaquah, Washington. Its official investor materials present it as its own publicly traded U.S. company.
Bottom line
China does not own Costco in 2026. Current official Costco investor materials point to Costco as a separate U.S. public company.