Volcom
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Californian surf, skate and snowboard apparel brand.
Volcom can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded swimwear and surf
Graded higher than Volcom, selling the same kinds of things.
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 Volcom? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 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 2 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, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
- 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 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
These are Authentic Brands Group's countries across all its brands; Volcom doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- 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 Volcom does not publish a supplier list or say where its products are made now. Owner Authentic Brands Group licenses it out: BR South Pacific, part of Caprice Australia, runs it in Australia and New Zealand, and Caprice's 182 supplier factories are mostly in China, with a few in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh, without saying which make Volcom. Its last factory disclosure, a 2018 Fair Labor Association review, listed 51 factories, mostly in China. Its code asks factories to work towards wages that meet basic needs, with no living wage plan.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Caprice Australia, whose BR South Pacific division has held the Australian Volcom licence since 2025, had 182 supplier factories, mostly in China, in its FY2026 statement; it does not name Volcom. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Volcom FLA Accreditation Assessment, February 2018 · search the archive · 51 factories: 35 China, 6 India, 3 Vietnam, 1 Indonesia, 1 Taiwan, 4 in the Americas; Cotton Connect cotton T-shirt project
- Volcom Inc - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Wholly owned by Authentic Brands Group; FLA participant 2017; parent has not signed the International Accord
- After Liberated bankruptcy, ABG names new Boardriders licensees (SGB) · search the archive · BR South Pacific named direct licensee for Volcom in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia (2025)
Published by Volcom or its owner
- Volcom compliance FAQ (UK) · search the archive · Third-party factory audits by Intertek and SGS with worker interviews; no supplier list; code covers basic wages
- Volcom compliance FAQ - California Transparency in Supply Chains Act · search the archive · California supply chain disclosure on slavery and trafficking; vendors must warrant compliance with labour laws
- Volcom AU: Responsible manufacturing · search the archive · No current country disclosure
- Caprice Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY2026 · search the archive · FY2026: 182 supplier factories, mostly China, a few in India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh; no living wage commitment; does not name Volcom
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Volcom ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/volcom, 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 Volcom.