Lexmark
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US printer company selling laser printers and toner.
There's no proof Lexmark pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Mexico is below a living wage.
Better-graded laptops and computers
Graded higher than Lexmark, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
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.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 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 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost 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 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Lexmark names some of the countries it makes in: China, Mexico and Poland. 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 |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Poland | Regular violations | Close to 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. (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Modern slavery statement
- It publishes its smelters or uses some recycled or responsibly mined metals, but can't yet trace its cobalt and gold to the mine.
Research notes Lexmark makes cartridges and toner in its own plant in Juárez, Mexico, supplies for Europe from Poland, sources supplies for Asia Pacific from China, and has printers built by six contract assemblers in undisclosed countries; no country split is given. It is an RBA member and RMI member, but in 2022 only three of its six assemblers had RBA audits, and no living wage commitment was found. In 2016 it compensated 56 Juárez workers who said they were fired for organising a union.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Lexmark was not rated in Baptist World Aid's last Electronics Industry Report (2016); the series has ended. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not listed | Lexmark is not among the companies in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Statements under the UK Modern Slavery Act are on the UK registry, the latest (2026) issued as a Xerox statement after the takeover. View |
| US forced-labour import bans (UFLPA Entity List, CBP Withhold Release Orders) | Not listed | Lexmark itself is not on the UFLPA Entity List, though its former majority owner Ninestar was added in June 2023. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Records the 2015-16 dispute over sacked workers at Lexmark's Juárez cartridge plant, with Lexmark's response. 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.
- Trade publication Actionable Intelligence reported in 2023 that import records showed Lexmark importing toner cartridges and printers from Ninestar, its then majority owner, after Ninestar was put on the US forced labour (UFLPA) Entity List; Lexmark said it operates independently (Actionable Intelligence, 2023). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Lexmark's response (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Lexmark response on the Juárez workers dispute
- Xerox 2026 Anti-Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement (UK registry) · search the archive · UK modern slavery statement filed in 2026
- Lexmark settles with Juárez factory workers (KJZZ, April 2016) · search the archive · 56 workers who said they were fired for unionising received compensation in 2016
- Ninestar subsidiaries begin to react to U.S. embargo (Actionable Intelligence, June 2023) · search the archive · Ninestar (63% owner) on UFLPA list; Lexmark not listed; import records show Lexmark imports from Ninestar
- Xerox acquires Lexmark (The Recycler) · search the archive · Xerox bought Lexmark from Ninestar (completed July 2025)
- Lexmark B346 black toner (Officeworks) · search the archive · Officeworks sells Lexmark toner in Australia
Published by Lexmark or its owner
- Lexmark 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility Report · search the archive · RBA member since 2009; RMI member; Juárez plant; supplies from Poland and China; 3 of 6 Tier 1 assemblers RBA-audited in 2022
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Lexmark ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/lexmark, last researched 3 November 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 Lexmark.