Under Armour

Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources

Baltimore sportswear company selling performance apparel.

In 2026, the United States banned imports from two Jordanian supplier factories after finding signs of forced labour, including violence and threats.

Also worth knowing

Under Armour has only partly put this right.

Better-graded activewear

Graded higher than Under Armour, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGood DK ActiveMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Clothing & footwearWomen's activewear and athleisurePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified WinterluxeMissing: traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearThermal tights and winter activewearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerified Nimble ActivewearMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearWomen's activewear and loungewear.Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

See every activewear brand

See better activewear options

Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Under Armour? Send a right of reply.

Compare Under Armour with another brand

Brand to compare with

Why it's graded Harm on record

Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no proof yet of a living wage, forced or child labour and failing or very low ratings (Shop Ethical in 2026; Tailored Wages in 2019). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years that it has only partly put right: forced labour, last recorded in 2026.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one
Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.
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 3

Red flag: No proof yet that it pays a living wage (it's working towards one)
Red flag: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
Red flag: Failing or very low scores on independent ratings: Shop Ethical (2026) and Tailored Wages (2019)

Stars it would earn as Good:
Star	Awarded for
	Gives workers a real voice

Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Accreditations 1

Fair Labor AssociationCounts as working towards a living wage, which can make a brand On Track.

Where it's made

From Under Armour's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
Vietnam	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Cambodia	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Indonesia	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Jordan	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	High
ChinaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
BangladeshUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
TürkiyeUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Very high
PakistanUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

Publishes supplier list
Modern slavery statement
Independent social audits of all its main 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 Under Armour's products are made by contract factories: in fiscal 2026, 40 makers in 17 countries made its apparel and accessories, about 65% of it in Jordan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia, and footwear came mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia; no per-country shares are given. It publishes a factory list and has been FLA-accredited since 2019, yet scored 26/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, has not signed the International Accord, and there is no public evidence its suppliers pay a living wage. A 2026 US import ban over forced labour hit its Jordanian supplier Needle Craft.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Listed	Scored 26 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (11th edition), from public information only; 28 in 2024. View
Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution)	Listed	Scored 28% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, slightly above the 26% average. View
US forced-labour import bans (UFLPA Entity List, CBP Withhold Release Orders)	Problem found	US Customs issued a Withhold Release Order in June 2026 on garments from two Needle Craft factories in Jordan, which shipped apparel to Under Armour. View
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Listed	Company profile notes Transparency Pledge alignment, 222 apparel facilities on Open Supply Hub and no public evidence of living wages paid by suppliers. View
News reporting and NGO investigations	Listed	The Clean Clothes Campaign's 2019 Tailored Wages report gave Under Armour its lowest grade, with no evidence any worker is paid a living wage; Shop Ethical cites it in rating the company F (September 2026). View

Confirmed issues 1

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?
2026	In June 2026 US Customs banned imports from two Needle Craft factories in Jordan, a major Under Armour supplier, after finding seven ILO forced labour indicators including violence and threats (WRC, 2026). Source · search the archive	PartlyUnder Armour ran a remediation and monitoring plan at Needle Craft from 2024 and stayed with the supplier; no remedy for workers reported (UA statement, June 2026).

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources

US Imposes Forced Labor Import Ban on Under Armour Supplier (Worker Rights Consortium) · search the archive · June 2026 WRO on two Needle Craft factories; 7 ILO forced labour indicators; 175 shipments to Under Armour; remediation plan failed
Jordan: Migrant worker died by suicide after alleged abuse at Under Armour supplier (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2023 worker death and abuse at Needle Craft reported 2024; Under Armour called it one of its supplier factories and opened an investigation
Under Armour's social compliance program accredited by Fair Labor Association · search the archive · FLA accreditation approved March 2019; factory list covers about 90% of production
Under Armour - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Shop Ethical rates it F (Sept 2026), citing Tailored Wages' lowest grade (2019), EFR 2024 28/100 and FTI 2023 28%
Ethical Fashion Guide 2026 (Baptist World Aid) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Under Armour 26/100, from public information only
Under Armour, Inc. Form 10-K FY2026 · search the archive · 40 apparel makers in 17 countries; ~65% from Jordan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia; footwear mainly Vietnam, Indonesia; ~14,100 staff

Published by Under Armour or its owner

UA Response to Needle Craft Ltd (Under Armour) · search the archive · June 2026: remediation and monitoring since 2024; chose to stay engaged rather than end the relationship

Company details

Headquarters: United States
Employees: About 14,100
Last researched: 2 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Under Armour ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/under-armour, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record 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 Under Armour.

Send evidence Send a right of reply