Alpine
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 30 October 2026 · 7 sources
Japanese car audio brand of Alps Alpine selling head units, speakers and amps.
Until Alpine traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as China and Malaysia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Alpine names some of the countries it makes in: China, Japan, Mexico and Hungary. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Hungary | Systematic violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Modern slavery statement
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Alpine products are made in Alps Alpine's own plants: Alpine's last standalone annual report named manufacturing bases in Japan, Dalian and Taicang in China, Reynosa in Mexico and a European plant, which the group lists in Biatorbágy, Hungary. The group surveys all suppliers on tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold, cobalt and mica, and says 90.8% of its 3TG smelters were RMI conformant in FY2024, but it publishes no smelter list, no factory audit results and no wage data. No share of production by country is given, and outside suppliers' role in aftermarket products is not stated.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Alps Alpine Europe GmbH publishes a UK Modern Slavery Act statement for the year to March 2026; it names no factories and reports no audits or findings. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Alpine 7" AV Head Unit ILX-W650E - Autopro · search the archive · Alpine head unit sold by Australian auto parts chain Autopro for pick-up in store
Published by Alpine or its owner
- Alpine Electronics Annual Report 2018-2019 · search the archive · Alpine's manufacturing bases: Alpine Manufacturing in Japan, Dalian Alpine and Taicang Alpine in China, Alcom Electronicos de Mexico, Alpine Electronics Manufacturing of Europe
- Alps Alpine Global Network: China · search the archive · Dalian Alpine Electronics and Taicang Alpine Electronics are current group companies in China
- Alps Alpine Global Network: Europe · search the archive · Alpine Electronics Manufacturing of Europe, Ltd. is in Biatorbágy, Hungary
- Alps Alpine Global Network: Americas · search the archive · Alcom Electronicos de Mexico is at Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico
- Alps Alpine: Responsible Mineral Procurement · search the archive · Surveys suppliers with CMRT and EMRT; 90.8% of 3TG and 78.3% of cobalt and mica smelters RMI conformant in FY2024; no smelter list on the page
- Alps Alpine Europe GmbH: Modern Slavery Act statement · search the archive · UK Modern Slavery Act statement for financial year ending 31 March 2026; no sites, audits or findings named
Company details
- Owned by
- Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Last researched
- 30 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Alpine ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/alpine, last researched 30 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Alpine.