Ryobi
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Power tool brand known for its ONE+ 18V range.
There's no proof Ryobi pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 4 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 4 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 Hong Kong.
- 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.
- 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
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
From its parent group's supplier list, which covers Ryobi and its sister brands. Ryobi publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Hong Kong | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
Research notes Ryobi tools are made mainly in TTI's own factories; TTI's UK statement names its owned plants in China and Vietnam (its Vietnam site employed nearly 8,000 people in 2023), and its Australian statement lists owned factories in China, Germany, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam. No shares by country or factory list are published. TTI is an RBA member and says its owned sites have SMETA audits, but it publishes no audit results, wage data or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Ryobi is covered by Techtronic Industries Australia's 2025 modern slavery statement, which names TTI-owned factory countries but reports no audit findings or cases. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | TTI's UK statement for 2025 (approved June 2026) says products come from company-owned factories in China and Vietnam with SMETA audits, and that TTI is an RBA member. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Power tools are not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports; its Good Shopping Guide rates TTI Australia C overall. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Not covered | Power tool makers are not among the sectors assessed in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. 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.
- Group-level, not Ryobi products: in April 2024 US Customs blocked work gloves from Shanghai Select Safety Products, a reported maker of TTI's Milwaukee-branded gloves, over signs of prison labour; a former prisoner's US lawsuit was dismissed on jurisdiction grounds in December 2025 and is on appeal (CBP 2024; Bloomberg Law 2025). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- CBP issues Withhold Release Order on Shanghai Select Safety Products · search the archive · April 2024 import ban on gloves from a Milwaukee Tool supplier over prison labour indications
- Techtronic Industries ESG Report 2025 (sustainabilityreports.com) · search the archive · 48,318 global associates in FY2025
- Techtronic Industries promotes business development in Vietnam (TTI, 2023) · search the archive · Plant in Saigon Hi-Tech Park; nearly 8,000 staff in Vietnam; eight production facilities
- Hammer Drills - Bunnings Australia · search the archive · Ryobi tools sold in Bunnings stores in Australia
- Power Tool Company Defeats Worker's Overseas Forced Labor Claims (Bloomberg Law, 2025) · search the archive · December 2025 dismissal of forced labour lawsuit against Milwaukee Tool and TTI on jurisdiction grounds
Published by Ryobi or its owner
- TTI UK Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · Owned factories in China and Vietnam; SMETA audits of owned sites, SMETA/BSCI for suppliers; RBA member; 48,000+ staff; no cases reported
- Techtronic Industries Australia - Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Covers Ryobi; most products from TTI-owned factories in CN, DE, HK, TW, TH, US, VN; no findings or wage commitments
Company details
- Headquarters
- Hong Kong
- Employees
- About 48,318
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ryobi ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ryobi, 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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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Ryobi.