<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000909832-23-000023.txt : 20230524
<SEC-HEADER>0000909832-23-000023.hdr.sgml : 20230524
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20230524131106
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000909832-23-000023
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	SD
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		3
<RULE>
<RULE-NAME>13p-1
<ITEM>
<ITEM-NUMBER>1.01
<ITEM-PERIOD>20221231
</ITEM>
<ITEM>
<ITEM-NUMBER>1.02
<ITEM-PERIOD>20221231
</ITEM>
</RULE>
FILED AS OF DATE:		20230524
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20230524

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000909832
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-VARIETY STORES [5331]
		IRS NUMBER:				911223280
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			WA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			0901

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		SD
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	000-20355
		FILM NUMBER:		23953031

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		999 LAKE DRIVE
		CITY:			ISSAQUAH
		STATE:			WA
		ZIP:			98027-
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4253138100

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		999 LAKE DRIVE
		CITY:			ISSAQUAH
		STATE:			WA
		ZIP:			98027

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	COSTCO COMPANIES INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19970401

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	PRICE/COSTCO INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19930728
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>SD
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>a2022formsd.htm
<DESCRIPTION>SD
<TEXT>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html><head>
<!-- Document created using Wdesk -->
<!-- Copyright 2023 Workiva -->
<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="ia9fd797e41e549c496f28306c7f9a116_1"></div><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:18pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">UNITED STATES </font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:18pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION </font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:18pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">FORM SD</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:18pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">SPECIALIZED DISCLOSURE REPORT</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:24pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Costco Wholesale Corporation</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;margin-top:5pt;text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:99.851%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:34.220%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:28.259%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:34.221%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="9" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Exact name of the registrant as specified in its charter)</font></div></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Washington</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">000-20355</font></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Commission File Number)</font></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="9" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="9" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)</font></td></tr><tr style="height:15pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">John Sullivan</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(425) 313-8100</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="9" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">(Name and telephone number, including area code, of the<br>person to contact in connection with this report.)</font></td></tr></table></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Check the appropriate box to indicate the rule pursuant to which this form is being filed&#58;</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#9746;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13p-1) for the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2022.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#9744;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Rule 13q-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13q-1) for the fiscal year ended _.</font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt;padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div></div><div id="ia9fd797e41e549c496f28306c7f9a116_4"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Section&#160;1 - Conflict Minerals Disclosure</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Introduction</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco or the Company), a Washington corporation, and its subsidiaries operate membership warehouses and e-commerce websites. On December 31, 2022, Costco operated 847 warehouses worldwide. In accordance with Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Rule 13p-1), Costco files this Specialized Disclosure Form (Form SD). A copy of Costco Wholesale Corporation&#8217;s Form SD is publicly available at </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">https&#58;&#47;&#47;investor.costco.com.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">SEC Final Rule Applicability Determination</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">To comply with Rule 13p-1, Costco followed a three-step process&#58; first, determine the applicability of the rule to the Company&#8217;s products&#59; second, conduct a &#8220;reasonable country of origin inquiry&#8221; (RCOI) to determine whether there is reason to believe that tin, tungsten, tantalum or gold (3TG), also referred to as conflict minerals, present in and necessary for the functionality or production of the Company&#8217;s products were sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo or adjoining countries (collectively, DRC or covered countries)&#59; and third, conduct due diligence to determine the source and chain of custody of those conflict minerals, unless the Company has no reason to believe its necessary conflict minerals were sourced from a covered country based on the RCOI. </font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">RCOI Description </font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Costco is required to conduct an RCOI on products that it manufactures or contracts to manufacture that contain 3TG necessary for the functionality or production of the product.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">  </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Rule 13p-1 and the Securities and Exchange Commission&#8217;s adopting release and guidance are not clear on what it means to &#8220;contract to manufacture&#8221; and &#8220;influence the manufacturing.&#8221;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">While Costco continues to assess which of its products are in scope of Rule 13p-1, it believes that it has interpreted &#8220;contract to manufacture&#8221; broadly for purposes of this filing. Costco&#8217;s objective is that our sourcing practices not support armed conflict or human rights abuses in the DRC.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">To aid in identifying suppliers to include in its RCOI, Costco provided a third-party service, Source Intelligence (SI), with descriptive information for nonfood products that Costco sold during 2022, including whether Costco may have manufactured or contracted to manufacture those products. SI reviewed the product data using automated queries and a detailed quality-control check to determine which of those products might contain 3TG. If SI had doubt regarding the use of 3TG in products, the suppliers of the products were initially included in the RCOI process.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The products SI initially flagged as potentially in-scope, due to their likelihood of containing 3TG, were those that are electronic or electrical, solar powered, contained any kind of metal (e.g., metal covering including alloys or metal hardware), or had unclear material content. The Company&#8217;s scoping inquiry included nonfood products sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Australia, Iceland, France, Spain, New Zealand, and Sweden.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Next, Tier 1</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">1</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> suppliers were asked to confirm whether the products they supplied to Costco contain 3TG that are necessary to the functionality or production of the product and whether Costco contracted with the supplier to manufacture the product or Costco influenced the manufacturing, and whether the products were supplied to Costco during the 2022 reporting year. This information was used to determine which of our suppliers were in-scope for RCOIs. If in-scope, SI asked the suppliers to provide additional conflict minerals information. Suppliers were then engaged to collect information regarding the presence and sourcing of 3TG used in items sold to Costco. Out of scope suppliers are classified on SI&#8217;s platform. Costco may reengage out of scope suppliers based on additional information about the products they supply and the nature of the relationship with Costco.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="border-bottom:1pt solid black;margin-bottom:5pt;margin-top:10pt;width:150pt"></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">1</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">A Tier 1 retail supplier is one that provides products directly to a retailer such as Costco. </font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">1</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Reasonable Country of Origin Inquiry (RCOI)</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">SI engaged Costco&#8217;s suppliers to collect information about the presence and sourcing of 3TG used in the products and components supplied to Costco. The program utilized the Responsible Minerals Initiative&#8217;s (RMI) Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT). Only reports using CMRT&#8217;s version 6.22 or higher were accepted. Suppliers were offered two options to submit the required information, either by uploading the CMRT in Microsoft Excel format or by completing an online survey version of this template directly in the SI platform. In certain cases if a supplier was unable to complete on the platform, SI uploaded the CMRT.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Supplier Engagement</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Costco provided SI with methods of contact for each supplier designated as in-scope. Generally, Costco and SI used email as the method of communication and followed with phone calls where appropriate and as described below. The RCOI began with an introduction email from Costco to suppliers describing the Conflict Minerals Compliance Program (CMCP) requirements and identifying SI as a partner. SI then sent a subsequent email to suppliers containing a registration and survey request link for the online data collection platform.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">To increase awareness of the CMCP, the initial registration email sent to Costco&#8217;s suppliers provided them with guidance on the regulations and frequently asked questions concerning 3TG mineral tracing.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Following the initial introductions to the program and information request, up to 14 reminder emails requesting survey completion were sent to each non-responsive supplier. Suppliers who remained non-responsive were contacted by telephone and offered assistance. This assistance included, but was not limited to, further information about the CMCP, an explanation of why the information was being collected, a review of how the information would be used, and clarification regarding how the information needed could be provided.</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Escalation</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">If after these efforts a supplier still did not register with the system or provide the information requested, an escalation process was initiated. It consisted of direct outreach by Costco. We contacted these suppliers by email to request their participation. SI followed up with a re-invitation to the platform.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Information Requested</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Suppliers were given a final deadline of April 7, 2023 to provide information about the mineral processors in their supply chains. Suppliers were asked to provide information regarding the sourcing of their conflict minerals, with the ultimate goal of identifying the 3TG smelters or refiners (SORs) and the country of origin of the conflict minerals. Suppliers who had already performed an RCOI through the use of the CMRT were asked to upload this document into the SI system or to provide this information in the online survey version. Suppliers had the ability to share information at a level with which they were most comfortable, i.e., company, product or user-defined, but the scope of the declaration had to be specified. Suppliers were asked to provide an electronic signature before submitting their data to Costco to verify that all answers submitted were accurate to the best of the supplier&#8217;s knowledge.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Quality Assurance</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Supplier responses were evaluated by SI and Costco&#8217;s Conflict Mineral Team for plausibility, consistency, and completeness. Additional supplier contacts were conducted to attempt to resolve the following potential quality control flags, including&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">2</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:11pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.15pt">One or more smelter or refiners (SORs) were noted for a metal not listed as being in the product&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">SOR information was not provided for a used metal, or SOR information provided was not a verified metal processor</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">2</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">Supplier answered yes to sourcing from the covered countries but none of the SORs listed are known to source from the region&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">Supplier indicated that it had not received conflict minerals data for each metal from all suppliers&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">Supplier indicated it had not identified all of the SORs used for the products included in the declaration scope&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">Supplier indicated it had not provided all applicable SOR information&#59; and</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#8226;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;padding-left:14.5pt">Supplier indicated 100% of the 3TG for products covered by the declaration originated from scrap&#47;recycled sources, but one or more SORs listed are not known to be exclusively recyclers.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="margin-bottom:10pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">RCOI Results </font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">A total of 428 Tier 1 suppliers were flagged as potentially in-scope and contacted as part of the RCOI process. The response rate was 93%. Of the 428 suppliers flagged, 172 (40%) scoped in and provided a conflict minerals reporting template, indicating that a product they supplied to Costco contained 3TG. Of these 81 (47%) indicated one or more of the regulated metals (3TG) as necessary to the functionality or production of the products supplied to Costco and that Costco &#8220;contracted to manufacture the products.&#8221; Based on SI&#8217;s smelter&#47;refiner database, plus the RMI Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), there was an indication of potential sourcing from the DRC and covered countries for 48 out of 237 verified smelters&#47;refiners</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">3</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Due Diligence</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">For those supply chains with SORs that are known or thought to be sourcing from the DRC, additional investigation was conducted to determine the source and chain-of-custody of the regulated metals. Costco and SI relied on the following internationally accepted audit standards to determine which SORs are considered &#8220;DRC Conflict Free&#8221;&#58; the RMAP, the London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery Program, and the Responsible Jewellery Council Chain-of-Custody Certification.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">If the SOR was not certified by these internationally-recognized schemes, SI attempted to contact the SOR to gain more information, including countries of origin and transfer and whether there are any internal due diligence procedures in place or other processes to track the chain-of-custody of its mineral ores. Relevant information reviewed included whether the SOR has&#58; a documented, effective and communicated conflict-free policy, an accounting system to support a mass balance of materials processed, and traceability documentation. Internet research was also performed. Up to three contact attempts were made by SI to SORs to gather information on mine country of origin and sourcing practices.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">  </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">SI assigned red flags to SORs where there was evidence of sourcing from&#58; an RMI Level 2 country, meaning low to medium risk countries with known or plausible involvement in the smuggling, export or transit of mineral out of conflict affected regions&#59; or from an RMI Level 3 country meaning high-risk countries outlined in Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act as those affected or bordering conflict-affected regions&#58; currently defined as the DRC and covered countries. </font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="border-bottom:1pt solid black;margin-bottom:5pt;margin-top:10pt;width:150pt"></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">2</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">SI maintains a smelter&#47;refiner database, which includes verified metal processors, companies that are exclusive recyclers, mine country of origin information, and DRC conflict-free certification status. SI collects SOR data submitted by suppliers in CMRTs and compares it against its existing database. Supplier responses listing entities that are not verified smelters&#47;refiners are flagged and suppliers are asked for further clarification.</font></div><div style="-sec-extract:summary"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">3</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The information in the smelter&#47;refiner database begins with supplier-provided information (CMRT data)&#59; Source Intelligence then performs additional research (internet, industry and government associations) and outreach (email and telephone) directly with these companies to confirm the data provided via CMRTs. The Source Intelligence Smelter Verification and Outreach Process includes research in an attempt to verify types of metal processing performed (including exclusive recycling), mine countries of origin, conflict-free certification status, and due diligence measures being conducted for those entities that are not conflict-free certified.</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">3</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Costco also leveraged its membership in the RMI to attend its periodic plenary conference calls to discuss emerging issues and best practices on responsible mineral sourcing, and to work on addressing shared challenges. In addition, SI is an official vendor member of the RMI, to further facilitate the exchange of supply chain data and technical information. This membership provides SI access to the following working groups&#58; Engage with the CMRT Development Team, Smelter Engagement Team, Smelter Data Management Team, RMI Stakeholders Call, and RMI Plenary.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Due Diligence Summary</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">As a result of the information provided by our suppliers for reporting year 2022 and SI&#8217;s research, there were 41 certified conflict-free SORs with indications of sourcing from an RMI Level 2 country and 43 certified conflict-free SORs with indications of sourcing from an RMI Level 3 country.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">In addition, the research identified five non-certified SORs with evidence of sourcing from an RMI Level 3 country, and two of those five with evidence of sourcing from an RMI Level 2 country, as shown in the table below&#58;</font></div><div><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:100.000%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:7.382%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.544%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:16.608%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.395%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:11.251%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.544%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:15.417%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.395%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:19.733%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.395%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:8.870%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:0.395%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:9.171%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Metal</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Official Smelter Name</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">RMI Smelter ID</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Smelter Country</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Country of Origin</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Smelter Country RMI Risk Level</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:700;line-height:100%">Certified Smelter</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Tungsten</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Hydrometallurg, JSC</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">CID002649</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Russian Federation</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">DRC - Congo (Kinshasa)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Gold</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Prioksky Plant of Non-Ferrous Metals</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">CID001386</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Russian Federation</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Mozambique</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">2</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Rwanda</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Tin</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">PT Timah Nusantara</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">CID001486</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Indonesia</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Burundi</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="4" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Congo (Brazzaville)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Rwanda</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">DRC - Congo (Kinshasa)</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:12pt"><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Tin</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">PT Tinindo Inter Nusa</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">CID001490</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Indonesia</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">DRC - Congo (Kinshasa)</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Rwanda</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Gold</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Samduck Precious Metals</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">CID001555</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Korea, Republic of</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Mozambique</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">2</font></td><td colspan="3" rowspan="2" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr><tr style="height:14pt"><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Rwanda</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">3</font></td><td colspan="3" style="background-color:#cceeff;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">No</font></td></tr></table></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Section&#160;2 - Resource Extraction Issuer Disclosure and Report</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Not applicable.</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Section&#160;3 - Exhibits</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">The following exhibit is filed as part of this report&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#0000ff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline"><a href="exhibit101-conflictmineral.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">Exhibit 1.01 - Conflict Min</a><a href="exhibit101-conflictmineral.htm" style="-sec-extract:exhibit;color:#0000ff;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%;text-decoration:underline">erals Report</a></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Times New Roman',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="-sec-extract:summary;text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">4</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div><div id="ia9fd797e41e549c496f28306c7f9a116_7"></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font><br></font></div></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">SIGNATURES</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the duly authorized undersigned.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-indent:-36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:120%">Costco Wholesale Corporation</font></div><div style="margin-top:5pt;text-align:center"><table style="border-collapse:collapse;display:inline-table;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:99.851%"><tr><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:3.072%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:56.873%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:2.029%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td><td style="width:1.0%"></td><td style="width:33.626%"></td><td style="width:0.1%"></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">By&#58;</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#47;s&#47; R</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">ICHARD</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"> A. G</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">ALANTI</font></div></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">May 24, 2023</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Richard A. Galanti</font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1pt solid #000000;padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">Date</font></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:2px 1pt;text-align:center;vertical-align:bottom"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer </font></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td><td colspan="3" style="padding:0 1pt"></td></tr></table></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:120%">5</font></div><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-1.01
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>exhibit101-conflictmineral.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EX-1.01
<TEXT>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html><head>
<!-- Document created using Wdesk -->
<!-- Copyright 2023 Workiva -->
<title>Document</title></head><body><div id="i4941231cc0a54250aa419333c16481d0_1"></div><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">Conflict Minerals Report of Costco Wholesale Corporation</font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">Reporting Year 2022</font></div><div style="padding-left:18pt;padding-right:18pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-36pt"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">This Conflict Mineral Report (CMR) of Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco or the Company) is made for calendar year 2022.  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Costco initiated measures to exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of the tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG or conflict minerals) found in products it contracts to manufacture and that are necessary for the functionality or production of the products.  The goal was to determine whether smelters and refiners within the Company&#8217;s supply chain sourced conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding area (DRC or covered countries). The Company based its due diligence process on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines and accompanying Supplements (OECD Framework)</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:6.5pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;position:relative;top:-3.5pt;vertical-align:baseline">1</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">.  The OECD Framework identifies five due diligence steps&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">1&#58; </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Establish Strong Company Management Systems</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;2&#58; </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Identify and Assess Risk in the Supply Chain</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;3&#58; </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Design and Implement a Strategy to Respond to Identified Risks</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;4&#58; </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Carry out Independent Third-Party Audit of Supply Chain Due Diligence at Identified Points in the    </font></div><div style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Supply Chain</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;5&#58; </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Report on Supply Chain Due Diligence</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Our implementation of the OECD Framework generally consisted of the following&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">1.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%;padding-left:27.67pt">Establish Strong Company Management Systems</font></div><div style="padding-left:36pt;text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Company identified product categories (which it refers to as departments) it believes are reasonably likely to contain conflict minerals. These included&#58; health and beauty aids, office supplies, tires, hardware, automotive care, sporting goods, garden &#38; patio, toys &#38; seasonal, apparel, housewares, electronics, major appliances, domestics, jewelry&#47;luggage&#47;handbags, media&#47;books&#47;DVD&#47;CDs, and furniture.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Adopt a Conflict Minerals Policy</font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Company has adopted a Conflict Minerals Policy Statement (Policy). </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;text-decoration:underline">https&#58;&#47;&#47;www.costco.com&#47;wcsstore&#47;CostcoUSBCCatalogAssetStore&#47;Attachment&#47;16w0604-sustainability-conflict-minerals-policy.pdf.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Established a System of Controls and Transparency over the Mineral Supply Chain</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">To provide better transparency within Costco&#8217;s supply chains and to help facilitate communication with international suppliers, Costco engaged a third-party information service provider, Source Intelligence (SI), to complement internal management processes.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Establish a Company-level Grievance Mechanism</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Our Confidential Ethics Hotline can be utilized by members, suppliers and other interested parties to report (among other things) complaints or violations of the Conflict Minerals Policy. </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;text-decoration:underline">www.costco.ethicspoint.com</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">2. Identify and Assess Risk in the Supply Chain</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Costco is committed to tracing the origin of its necessary conflict minerals so that it avoids supporting armed conflict or human rights abuses in the covered countries. </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Company&#8217;s scoping inquiry included nonfood products sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Australia, Spain, Iceland, France, New Zealand, and Sweden. The Company sought to identify nonfood products that may possibly be the subject of &#8220;contract to manufacture&#8221; agreements </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">or that the Company may possibly have &#8220;influenced the manufacturing.&#8221;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Identify the Smelters or Refiners (SORs) in the supply chain</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Costco took steps to identify and verify SORs and the source of conflict minerals through a country of origin inquiry.  See Specialized Disclosure Report (Form SD) for reporting year 2022 filed in accordance </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">with Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Rule 13p-1)</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">.  </font></div><div style="border-bottom:1pt solid black;margin-bottom:5pt;margin-top:10pt;width:150pt"></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:5.85pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;position:relative;top:-3.15pt;vertical-align:baseline">1</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%"> </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas&#58; Third Edition</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">, OECD Publishing, Paris (2016). </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%;text-decoration:underline">https&#58;&#47;&#47;www.oecd.org&#47;daf&#47;inv&#47;mne&#47;OECD-Due-Diligence-Guidance-Minerals-Edition3.pdf</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:9pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">.</font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">After determining products to include in its due diligence efforts, the Company identified applicable suppliers from a list of the Company&#8217;s purchase orders for products it purchased and received during 2022.  Costco implemented a process to engage those suppliers, including, but not limited to, facilitating the identification of upstream participants in the chain of custody. Costco engaged SI to identify conflict minerals processors in Costco&#8217;s supply chains and collect, store, and review information on 3TG sourcing practices. Communications were sent to the Company&#8217;s direct suppliers describing the compliance requirements and requesting conflict minerals information. </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Suppliers were requested to use the Responsible Minerals Initiative&#8217;s (RMI) Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT), to identify 3TG SORs and associated countries of origin. SI advised suppliers that it tracks information on SORs and flags risks based on smelter or refiner sourcing practices. SI verified the SORs were matched against available lists of processors that have been certified by internationally-recognized industry validation schemes, such as the RMI Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP).</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Company reviewed </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">the products of suppliers that listed&#160;</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">SORs deemed to be higher risk. </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">3.   </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">Design and Implement a Strategy to Respond to Identified Risks</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Due Diligence Strategy </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">For those supply chains with SORs that are known or thought to be sourcing from the DRC, additional investigation was conducted to determine the source and chain-of-custody of the regulated metals.  Costco and SI relied upon the following internationally accepted audit standards&#58; the RMAP&#59; the London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery Program&#59; and the Responsible Jewellery Council Chain-of-Custody Certification.  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">For SORs not certified by these internationally-recognized schemes, SI attempted to contact the SOR to gain more information about sourcing practices, including countries of origin and transfer, and whether there are any internal due diligence procedures in place or other processes the SORs take to track the chain-of-custody on the source of its mineral ores.  Relevant information reviewed included&#58; whether the SOR has a documented, effective and communicated conflict-free policy&#59; an accounting system to support a mass balance of materials processed&#59; and traceability documentation. Internet research was also performed by SI to find other sources of information regarding the SOR&#8217;s sourcing practices. Up to three contact attempts were made by SI to SORs to gather information on mine country of origin and sourcing practices.  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">SI also assigned red flags to SORs where there is evidence of sourcing from an RMI Level 2 country, meaning low to medium risk countries with known or plausible involvement in the smuggling, export or transit of minerals out of conflict affected regions&#59; or from an RMI Level 3 country, meaning  high-risk countries outlined in Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act as those affected or bordering conflict-affected regions&#58; currently defined as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its nine adjoining countries (Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia). </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Company used its membership in RMI to assess risks in the supply chain. Costco attends RMI&#8217;s periodic plenary conference calls to discuss emerging issues and best practices on responsible mineral sourcing and to work on addressing shared challenges. </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Additionally, the RMI</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%"> provides a range of tools and resources, including the RMAP, the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template, Reasonable Country of Origin Inquiry data and a range of guidance documents on conflict mineral sourcing.</font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%"> See </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;text-decoration:underline">www.responsiblemineralsinitiative.org&#47;.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">SI is an official vendor member of the RMI, to further facilitate the exchange of supply chain data and technical information. This membership provides access to the following working groups&#58; Engage with the CMRT Development Team, Smelter Engagement Team, Smelter Data Management Team, RMI Stakeholders Call, and RMI Plenary.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Due Diligence Summary</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The results of the information provided by our suppliers and SI&#8217;s research revealed that&#58; (1) there were 41 certified conflict-free SORs with indications of sourcing from an RMI Level 2 country&#59; and (2) 43 certified conflict-free SORs with indications of sourcing from an RMI Level 3 country.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">In addition, the research identified five non-certified SORs with evidence of sourcing from an RMI Level 3 country, and two of those five with evidence of sourcing from an RMI Level 2 country, as shown in the table below&#58;</font></div><div><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div style="min-height:72pt;width:100%"><div><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:12pt;font-weight:400;line-height:100%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font></div></div><div style="margin-bottom:9pt;text-align:justify"><img alt="image_0a.jpg" src="image_0a.jpg" style="height:223px;margin-bottom:5pt;vertical-align:text-bottom;width:672px"></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The final conflict minerals findings were reported to Executive leadership on April 18, 2023.  </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">Steps to Be Taken </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Company expects to take the following steps in 2023 to seek to lessen the risk that its in-scope suppliers&#8217; 3TG may benefit armed groups in the DRC region&#58;</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="padding-left:63pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">1.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">Address non-certified smelters to move them toward certification or eliminate them from the supply chain&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:63pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">2.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">Continue to educate our buyers on the importance of our Conflict Minerals Policy&#59; </font></div><div style="padding-left:63pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">3.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">Continue to engage with and promote industry-based efforts to educate suppliers on the Conflict Minerals Rule, including supporting the work of the RMI and SI&#59;</font></div><div style="padding-left:63pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">4.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">Continue to enforce risk management procedures that, in particular, address supplier non-responsiveness and non-compliance&#59; and</font></div><div style="padding-left:63pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-18pt"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">5.</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;padding-left:9.67pt">Encourage our suppliers to provide the product level information for 2023 through ongoing outreach with suppliers and buyer education.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">4.  </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">Carry out Independent Third-Party Audit of Supply Chain Due Diligence at Identified Points in the Supply Chain</font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%"> </font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">For Costco&#8217;s due diligence, we used information we gathered along with information made available by the RMAP, RMI, LBMA, SI, and RJC.  Costco does not directly do business with any smelters or refiners of 3TG.  We must rely upon our suppliers to provide accurate, information about 3TG in our supply chain. In most instances, we are several tiers removed from the smelters and refiners of 3TG used in our consumer products. Costco intends to conduct the audit required by Rule 13p-1 when required.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:700;line-height:115%">5.  Report on Supply Chain Due Diligence</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">The Form SD and CMR are </font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">publicly available at </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%;text-decoration:underline">https&#58;&#47;&#47;investor.costco.com</font><font style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%"> and </font><font style="color:#000000;font-family:'Arial',sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:400;line-height:115%">meet the OECD recommendation to report annually on supply chain due diligence.</font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="text-align:justify"><font><br></font></div><div style="height:72pt;position:relative;width:100%"><div style="bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%"><div style="text-align:center"><font><br></font></div></div></div></body></html>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>GRAPHIC
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>image_0a.jpg
<TEXT>
begin 644 image_0a.jpg
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M]%6=XC$'95PK0"^H=T2A;$LQ=4.Y7]LL'95FIR08K6N-9FV7][+8L7NXWWD
M#T!B9I]7/ZBPM)IY&*HME&*$C(B_K/9GT;P,'HMV@]TC,W8V>RN'C''PV+T
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$KD)@@@$!

end
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
