Belkin
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
US maker of chargers, cables, docks and screen protectors.
Until Belkin 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 rightsWhere electronics are usually made, such as China and Malaysia, 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 confirmed child or forced labour findings or linksAn unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- 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: Probably made mostly 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
We couldn't confirm where Belkin makes most of its products, so this shows where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 55% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Malaysia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South Korea | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| India | 5% | 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
- 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 Belkin outsources production to more than 50 manufacturing suppliers and does not name its factories or the countries they are in. It is covered by parent Foxconn's RBA membership; in 2024 and early 2025 it ran 71 social audits at 56 suppliers (58% by third parties), covering 89% of active suppliers, and closed 468 corrective actions, 80 of them critical, with no zero-tolerance violations reported. It publishes no supplier list and makes no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Belkin files annual statements on the Australian Modern Slavery Register; the latest covers calendar 2024. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Belkin publishes a group statement on modern slavery covering its UK, Australian, Dutch and Canadian entities (2025). View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Parent group Hon Hai (Foxconn) scored 19/100 in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Reuters reported that Belkin's parent Foxconn rejected married women for iPhone assembly jobs at its plant near Chennai, India, prompting an Indian government inquiry; the plant does not make Belkin products (Reuters via BusinessLIVE, 2024). Source
- Belkin's parent group Hon Hai (Foxconn) scored 19/100 in KnowTheChain's 2025 ICT forced labour benchmark, down from 28/100 in 2020 (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2025). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Hon Hai company page (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Hon Hai KnowTheChain ICT score 19/100 (2025), 28/100 (2020)
- Belkin Statement on Modern Slavery (calendar 2024, Australian register) · search the archive · 71 audits at 56 suppliers, 58% third-party, 89% coverage; 468 corrective actions (80 critical); no zero-tolerance violations
- Foxconn acquires Belkin (AnandTech, 2018) · search the archive · Foxconn Interconnect Technology bought Belkin for $866 million in 2018
- Indian officials visit Foxconn iPhone plant over hiring practices (BusinessLIVE/Reuters, 2024) · search the archive · Indian officials inspected Foxconn plant after Reuters report on excluding married women
Published by Belkin or its owner
- Belkin 2025 Statement on Modern Slavery and Supply Chain Transparency · search the archive · Over 50 manufacturing suppliers; RBA via parent Foxconn; RBA VAP and internal audits; 850+ staff in 25 countries
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 850
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Belkin ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/belkin, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded phones
No phones brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Belkin.