Supply Chain Ethics

The UK Supreme Court refused Dyson's appeal in May 2025, allowing 24 migrant workers' forced labour claims to proceed in English courts. Workers from Nepal and Bangladesh alleged they were trafficked to Malaysia and subjected to forced labour, assault, false imprisonment, and debt bondage at ATA Industrial and Jabco factories which manufactured Dyson products. Workers earned as little as $10/day, had passports confiscated, lived in dormitories with up to 80 people per room, and some were jailed for visa irregularities. Dyson was notified by a whistleblower in 2019 but disputes knowledge. Trial set for April 2027. Leigh Day contacted by hundreds of additional potential claimants.

TSMC announced formal SBTi commitment April 2025 with roadmap: peak emissions 2025, reduce to 2020 levels by 2030 with RE60 (60% renewable energy), achieve RE100 by 2040 (accelerated from 2050 after NGO pressure), net-zero by 2050. Launched GREEN Agreement requiring 50+ suppliers (90% of supply chain emissions) to reach 85% renewable energy in Taiwan and 100% overseas by 2030. 22 consecutive years in Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

NVIDIA's due diligence in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 revealed supplier non-compliance including hiring fees charged to workers, document and passport retention, excessive working hours, and penalties for leaving employers early. An independent human rights assessment found forced labor and child labor to be salient risks in NVIDIA's supply chain, though not in direct operations.

China Labour Bulletin investigation in January 2025 found Foxconn's Zhengzhou iPhone factory employed dispatch workers (temporary contractors) for approximately 50% of the workforce producing iPhone 17, violating China's 10% legal limit. Dispatch workers receive lower wages, no benefits (housing, insurance, bonuses), and can be dismissed without cause. This practice allows Foxconn to avoid permanent employment obligations and suppress organizing.

Tesla's battery recycling facilities now recover up to 92% of battery materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and aluminum, feeding them directly back into new battery cell production. The recycling program has cut projected new mining needs for lithium by 28% for vehicles produced after 2024, reducing the environmental impact of raw material extraction for EV batteries.

In December 2024, Sony disclosed that its audit of Kawaguchi Manufacturing, a Malaysian supplier of plastic components, found violations of Sony's supply chain code of conduct. The violations involved 251 Bangladeshi workers who were denied pay for seven months. Sony stated it implemented remedial measures in collaboration with the Responsible Business Alliance.

In 2024, ASUS launched its first Living Wage Program in alignment with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Anker Methodology, focusing on key assembly and labor-intensive suppliers. The program combines wage data collection, on-site visits, and worker interviews to help suppliers set improvement targets and ensure wages meet recognized human rights standards.

In August 2023, China Labor Watch released investigation findings on Foxconn's Chengdu facility manufacturing Amazon Echo and Kindle devices. Workers reported mandatory overtime exceeding legal limits (80+ hours/month vs 36-hour legal cap), wages withheld for months, inadequate safety equipment, and dismissal threats for refusing overtime. Amazon audits had repeatedly missed these violations.

On March 20, 2023, a Samsung supplier in Vietnam experienced a methanol poisoning incident that killed one worker and hospitalized 37 others. The incident occurred at a Samsung display manufacturing supplier facility. This highlighted ongoing workplace safety issues in Samsung's supply chain, part of a broader pattern of occupational health problems that have affected thousands of workers over decades.

160 migrant workers delivering for Delivery Hero's Talabat subsidiary in Qatar faced wage theft by subcontractors, with some unpaid for up to 8 months including during the 2022 World Cup. Workers who filed labor complaints were deported. One worker died in January 2023 reportedly following an accident during non-payment period. Workers employed by Infinity Delivery Services and subcontracted to Talabat.

Cisco has been a founding member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and participates in the Responsible Minerals Initiative, Responsible Labor Initiative, and Clean Electronics Production Network. The company conducts conflict minerals due diligence with 70% of reported smelters conformant to third-party standards in 2023. Cisco publicly called on global leaders to strengthen laws against forced labor and maintains a 24/7 multi-language ethics reporting hotline for supply chain workers.

Under Cook's leadership, Apple continued to rely on Foxconn as its primary manufacturer despite repeated China Labor Watch investigations documenting forced overtime (60-75 hours/week vs. China's legal maximum), wage withholding, recruitment discrimination against Uyghur, Tibetan, Yi and Hui ethnic minorities, and sexual harassment. A 2023 CLW report alleged Apple representatives were aware of these practices during iPhone production.

Multiple investigations by China Labor Watch (2016, 2023) found labor abuses in factories supplying ASUS, including excessive overtime, forced labor, low wages, inadequate training, workers going three months without a day off, and use of student interns. ASUS was also identified by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute as potentially benefiting from Uyghur forced labor in its supply chain.

Corsair publishes annual conflict minerals due diligence reports to the SEC covering Tantalum, Tin, Tungsten, and Gold sourcing. The company conducts periodic audits of direct suppliers using the CMRT framework. As of December 2022, 86.15% of suppliers responded to human trafficking and slavery reporting requests. Corsair published a comprehensive Code of Conduct and Ethics and maintains public supply chain disclosure documentation.

Intel committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in global operations by 2040, with interim 2030 milestones including 100% renewable electricity, net-positive water use, and zero waste to landfill. Intel co-founded the Semiconductor Climate Consortium and the Catalyze program (a renewable electricity accelerator for the semiconductor supply chain). As of 2024, Intel is 99% toward its renewable electricity goal and achieved net-positive water status in the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, and India. Intel also targets 30% reduction in upstream Scope 3 emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.

In November 2020, it was revealed that Apple lobbyists worked to weaken the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, proposing to extend compliance deadlines and limit public disclosure requirements. Apple spent $90,000 on lobbying related to the bill. This contradicted Cook's July 2020 congressional testimony where he called forced labor 'abhorrent' and pledged zero tolerance for supply chain abuses.

In July 2020, Apple committed to becoming carbon neutral across its entire supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, requiring 75% emissions reduction vs 2015 baseline. By 2025, Apple achieved a 60% reduction while revenue grew 65%. Over 320 suppliers (95% of manufacturing spend) committed to 100% renewable energy for Apple production. Apple reached 99% recycled rare earth elements in magnets and 99% recycled cobalt in batteries. Corporate operations have run on 100% renewable energy since 2014.

ASPI's 2020 report identified Xiaomi as one of 83 companies whose supply chains benefited from Uyghur forced labor transfer programs. KnowTheChain later scored Xiaomi 5 out of 100 on forced labor safeguards.

From 2017-2021, multiple investigations revealed that Apple suppliers including O-Film, Lens Technology, Luxshare Precision, and others used Uyghur workers transferred from Xinjiang under China's forced labor programs. At least 1,800 workers from Uighur-majority Hotan Prefecture were sent to O-Film between 2017-2019, while Lens Technology received over 4,000 workers from Kashgar and Hotan. Despite Apple's claims of 'zero tolerance for forced labor,' Congressional investigators stated in 2021 that 'mounting evidence is beyond troubling' and Apple's supply chains were 'tainted.' In 2020, Apple lobbied to weaken the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, seeking to extend compliance deadlines and keep supply chain information private.

Apple's battery supply chain has been linked to cobalt from small-scale Congolese mines using child labor. A 2016 Washington Post investigation traced cobalt from harsh mining conditions to Chinese supplier Congo DongFang International Mining (Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt), which supplied battery makers producing batteries for iPhones. Apple acknowledged approximately 20% of its cobalt came from Huayou Cobalt. In 2019, human rights group International Rights Advocates filed a class-action lawsuit representing 14 Congolese children killed or maimed in cobalt mining. In December 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo filed criminal complaints against Apple in France and Belgium for using 'conflict minerals,' alleging Apple ignored warnings from lawyers in April 2024.