Biden commerce chief to join Costco board as it sues over Trump tariffs

Costco Wholesale has nominated President Joe Biden's Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, to its board of directors.

Costco Wholesale said Thursday that it has nominated Gina Raimondo, who served as commerce secretary under President Joe Biden, to its board of directors.

Raimondo led the Commerce Department, which plays a major role in overseeing U.S. trade policy, for the entirety of Biden’s term as president. From 2015 to 2021 she served as the Democratic governor of Rhode Island.

The announcement from Costco comes just days after the retail giant filed a lawsuit seeking a refund of tariffs it has paid this year under President Donald Trump’s country-specific tariff program. The company also asked a trade court to prohibit the Trump administration from collecting any more of these customs duties.

The tariffs were imposed by Trump after he invoked emergency powers to bypass Congress. The administration claimed the president’s authority stemmed from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA.

Trump’s use of this IEEPA authority to impose the tariffs is currently under review by the Supreme Court.