Brother
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Japanese maker of printers, label makers and sewing machines.
Until Brother 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 3 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 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- 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
From Brother's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 40% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 28% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 15% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Philippines | 12% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 1% | 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.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main 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 Brother's products are assembled in its own group factories: printers and all-in-ones in Vietnam, Shenzhen (China) and the Philippines, and home sewing machines in Taiwan, Zhuhai (China) and Vietnam; inkjet print heads are made at its Hoshizaki plant in Japan. Shares count these six named assembly sites, as it gives no split. It joined the RBA in 2019 and four factories hold RBA Platinum ratings; it surveys about 1,200 suppliers and reports no forced or child labour found, but publishes no supplier list or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Brother International (Aust) publishes modern slavery statements under the Australian Act, reporting no forced labour found in supplier surveys. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
Published by Brother or its owner
- Brother International (Aust) Modern Slavery Statement FY2022 · search the archive · Products made in group factories in China, Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam; SMETA audits; RBA member since 2019.
- Brother Canada Forced Labour Report 2026 · search the archive · Report to March 2026: factories and suppliers in Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, China; 1,196 suppliers assessed, 25 audits; no forced or child labour found.
- Brother news (March 2017): 60 million home sewing machines · search the archive · Home sewing machines made at three bases: Taiwan (since 1979), Zhuhai China (1993) and Brother Industries Saigon, Vietnam (2012); Japan production ended 2005
- Four Brother factories receive RBA Platinum certification (Brother, 2025) · search the archive · Platinum: Brother Industries Vietnam and Philippines and Shenzhen (printers, all-in-ones); Hoshizaki, Japan (inkjet print heads and parts).
Company details
- Owned by
- Brother Industries, Ltd.
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Brother ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/brother, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded laptops and computers
No laptops and computers 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 Brother.