TWG Tea
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Singapore luxury tea brand.
TWG Tea can't show that the people who grow its tea in India and Sri Lanka earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent TWG Tea? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 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.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its tea is grown in India, China and Indonesia, 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
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
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using TWG Tea's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
TWG Tea names some of the countries its tea comes from: China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malawi and Taiwan. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Sri Lanka | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations). Source
Research notes TWG Tea says it buys direct from gardens, and a single-estate collection names China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, India (Darjeeling), Japan and Malawi. It does not name estates, publish origin shares, carry Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification across its range, or publish a supplier code or modern slavery statement. Tea estates in several of these countries have well-documented risks of low wages and poor housing. No labour abuses linked to its own suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | TWG Tea's range is not Fairtrade certified. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No modern slavery statement from TWG Tea or V3 Group found on the Australian register. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour rights allegations against TWG Tea are recorded. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- TWG parent V3 Group to launch Hong Kong IPO (Inside Retail Australia) · search the archive · V3 Group, founded by Ron Sim, is the Singapore parent of TWG Tea and Osim
- TWG Grand Fine Harvest single-estate collection (Signé Magazine) · search the archive · Teas from China, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Darjeeling, Japan and Malawi; says it buys direct from gardens
- TWG Tea 1837 Black 15 Teabags (David Jones) · search the archive · TWG teas sold by David Jones in Australia
- TWG Tea brand page (David Jones) · search the archive · David Jones carries a TWG Tea range
Published by TWG Tea or its owner
- TWG Tea website · search the archive · Official site lists no Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification; copyright TWG Tea Company Pte Ltd
Company details
- Headquarters
- Singapore
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is TWG Tea ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/twg-tea, 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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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent TWG Tea.