Labour Lens

Petit Bateau

Lacks transparency

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources

French brand known for children's cotton bodysuits.

Petit Bateau can't show that the workers who make its products in Morocco and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
  • 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.

How grades are decided

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 Tunisia, 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: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton

Red flags 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

Petit Bateau says it makes products in Morocco and Tunisia. Press and retailer reports name France, Poland, Portugal, China, Vietnam, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Madagascar and Mauritius. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
Morocco27%Regular violationsWell below a living wageLow
ChinaNot givenNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
VietnamNot givenSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
Tunisia8%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageLow
IndiaNot givenNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
BangladeshUsual for the industry6%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
FranceNot givenRegular violationsAbout a living wageLow
PolandNot givenRegular violationsClose to a living wageModerate
PortugalNot givenStrong protectionsClose to a living wageLow
MyanmarNot givenNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageVery high
ThailandNot givenNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
MadagascarNot givenSystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
MauritiusNot givenRegular violationsBelow a living wageLow
CambodiaUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
IndonesiaUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
PakistanUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh

Evidence

What we found

  • 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 Petit Bateau knits and dyes much of its fabric in its own plant in Troyes, France, and in its own site in Morocco, but most sewing is done by partner factories: in 2021 it said 66% of sewing was in Morocco (16% in its own workshop) and 19% in Tunisia, with the rest spread across about ten countries. Only those two shares are stated; the other countries are named in 2025 reporting without shares. It promised in 2021 to publish its tier 1 supplier list and use independent audits, but no list or audit results are public. There is no living wage commitment. Organic cotton is used for the newborn range only.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot listedPetit Bateau and Groupe Rocher are not rated in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View

Sources and actions

Sources 5

Show all 5 sources
  1. Petit Bateau - Good On You · search the archive · No supplier list or living wage evidence; uses cotton including organic; People rating 2/5 (updated January 2026)
  2. Petit Bateau press kit 2021 (Groupe Rocher) · search the archive · Troyes knitting plant; sewing 66% Morocco (16% own workshop), 19% Tunisia, rest in ~10 countries; supplier list and audits promised
  3. Petit Bateau acquisition by Regent: What's next for the French brand? (FashionUnited) · search the archive · Regent buying from Groupe Rocher (2025); 2,400 staff; Troyes and Marrakech sites; 15% by partners in PL, PT, CN, VN, IN, MM, TH, MG, MU
  4. Le paradoxe Petit Bateau (Marques de France) · search the archive · Knitting about 40% Troyes and 58% own Moroccan plant; about 10% of articles assembled in Troyes; partners in Morocco and Tunisia
  5. Petit Bateau - Smallable · search the archive · Retailer selling Petit Bateau that ships to over 120 countries including Australia

Company details

Headquarters
France
Employees
About 2,400
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Petit Bateau ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/petit-bateau, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

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Something missing or wrong?

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