Carhartt WIP
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
German-run streetwear label selling workwear-inspired clothing.
Carhartt WIP can't show that the workers who make its products in Tunisia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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 2 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 Tunisia, China and Bangladesh.
- 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: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Carhartt WIP names some of the countries it makes in: Tunisia. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunisia | 32% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 14% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 10% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Almost a third of garments are made in Tunisia, at its own SA8000-certified sites in the Monastir region or long-term partners. The rest come from suppliers in Asia that it does not name by country, so no other production countries are shown. It uses WRAP and SA8000 audits plus its own visits (96% of direct suppliers and subcontractors in 2025), but publishes no supplier list. Its code only requires the legal minimum wage.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | 2022 report of abuses at Eslite Garment, Myanmar, a supplier to an unnamed Carhartt licensee; Carhartt responded. 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.
- In 2022 workers at Eslite Garment in Myanmar, which Carhartt said made some Carhartt-branded products for one of its licensees (not named), reported harassment, union suppression, excessive targets and denied social security benefits; Carhartt said it opened an investigation (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2022). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Myanmar: Garment workers at Carhartt supplier reportedly face labour rights violations (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2022 allegations at Eslite Garment, Myanmar; Carhartt opened an investigation
- Carhartt's response (BHRRC, June 2022) · search the archive · Eslite Garment made some Carhartt-branded products for one of Carhartt's licensees
- Carhartt WIP Statement on Supply Chain Due Diligence 2023 · search the archive · About 2,300 staff, 1,200 at own sites in Monastir, Tunisia; around 140 suppliers; no forced or child labour found in 2023
Published by Carhartt WIP or its owner
- Carhartt WIP - Sustainability · search the archive · Almost one third of garments made in Tunisia; 96% of direct suppliers visited in 2025; 78% cotton; Better Cotton partner; 594 suppliers on Retraced
- Carhartt WIP - Corporate Responsibility · search the archive · Own Tunisian factory, near 700 staff, SA8000 certified; suppliers in Asia; WRAP and SA8000 audits; legal minimum wage required
- Carhartt WIP - California Transparency in Supply Chains Act · search the archive · Third-party audits (WRAP, BSCI, Better Work) plus own announced and unannounced assessments
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 2,300
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Carhartt WIP ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/carhartt-wip, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded workwear and uniforms
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Carhartt WIP.