Rip Curl
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Torquay surf brand selling wetsuits and surfwear.
Forced labour was found in Rip Curl's supply chain in 2015, which it has only partly put right.
Better-graded swimwear and surf
Graded higher than Rip Curl, selling the same kinds of things.
Bond-EyeMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearCrinkle-knit women's swimwearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedBaku SwimwearMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearWomen's swimwear and resort wearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verifiedBudgy SmugglerMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearSwim briefs, swimwear and underwearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified
No swimwear and surf brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Rip Curl? Send a right of reply.
Compare Rip Curl with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has a red flag for forced or child labour. On Track needs no forced or child labour, clear labour breaches or failing independent ratings.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2015) is more than 5 years old.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Rip Curl looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found unpaid or underpaid wages in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. Other problems on its record count against the grade: forced labour in 2015 and a forced labour link in 2024. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one (proven for only part of its supply chain)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not 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 listPublishes its supplier 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: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Rip Curl's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 28% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Not given | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| France | Not given | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Indonesia | Not given | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Italy | Not given | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Cambodia | Not given | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | 7% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Vietnam | 4% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Proves a living wage for part of its supply chain only
- Makes part of its range in its own 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 In 2023 Rip Curl used 109 tier 1 factories, 54 in China, 13 in Brazil, 9 each in Bangladesh and India, 8 in Vietnam and 3 in Thailand, plus 13 in Australia, Cambodia, France, Indonesia and Italy (shares shown are by factory count). It owns the Onsmooth Thai wetsuit factory, which it says moved to a living wage pay structure, but KMD said in July 2026 it will wind down production there over 12 months and divest the site. Parent KMD Brands publishes factories on Open Supply Hub, is an accredited Fair Labor Association member and signed the International Accord, but has no dated supply chain living wage target.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Owner KMD Brands scored 70 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 60 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | KMD Brands scored 29% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, slightly above the 26% average. View |
| B Corp directory | Certified | Rip Curl and its Thai wetsuit factory Onsmooth Thai are certified B Corps under KMD Brands. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by KMD Brands' modern slavery statement; in 2023 Rip Curl had 109 tier 1 factories, 54 in China, and one supplier in Indonesia underpaid workers. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Fairfax Media reported in 2016 that Rip Curl ski jackets were made in a North Korean factory; Rip Curl apologised. View |
Confirmed issues 3
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Link through a supplierA Transparentem investigation found forced labour indicators such as high recruitment fees, threats and restricted movement for migrant workers at Taiwanese textile mills supplying KMD Brands; KMD did not say which of its brands used them (Transparentem, 2025). Source · search the archive | PartlyKMD says it worked with other buyers on remediation and shared the cost of third-party assessment; no repayment of fees by KMD is reported. |
| 2023 | KMD Brands reported that a Rip Curl supplier in Indonesia paid workers below the government minimum wage (KMD Brands Modern Slavery Statement, 2023). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyThe supplier raised pay to the legal minimum and KMD checked this with a worker survey in July 2024; no back pay for the underpaid period is reported. |
| 2015 | Fairfax Media revealed in 2016 that Rip Curl ski jackets from its 2015 winter range were made at the Taedonggang Clothing Factory in North Korea and labelled 'made in China'; Rip Curl admitted it (Fairfax, 2016). Source · search the archive | PartlyRip Curl publicly apologised, blamed an unauthorised subcontractor and pledged to stop it recurring; no remedy for workers was reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Rip Curl - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: KMD Brands scored 70/100 (average 31.5); FTI 2023 29%; Oxfam: supplier list published, living wage commitment
- KMD Brands Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Taiwan mill forced labour indicators; FLA accredited; Accord; Rip Curl and Onsmooth Thai B Corps; no living wage target
- KMD divests Asia asset as Rip Curl sales slip (Ragtrader) · search the archive · July 2026: KMD to divest its Southeast Asian (Thai wetsuit) manufacturing facility, winding down production over 12 months
- KMD Brands Modern Slavery Statement 2024 · search the archive · Indonesian Rip Curl supplier raised pay to the legal minimum; KMD confirmed with a worker survey in July 2024
- Rip Curl using slave labour to manufacture clothes in North Korea (Australasian Leisure Management) · search the archive · Fairfax 2016: 2015 winter range made at Taedonggang factory, North Korea, labelled made in China
Published by Rip Curl or its owner
- KMD Brands Modern Slavery Statement 2023 · search the archive · Rip Curl 109 tier 1 factories by country; Indonesian supplier paid below minimum wage, case open; factories on Open Supply Hub
- Fair Compensation (KMD Brands) · search the archive · Onsmooth Thai wetsuit factory aligned wages with Anker living wage method in FY23
Company details
- Owned by
- KMD Brands
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Rip Curl ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rip-curl, last researched 2 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 Rip Curl.