Nike Inc. (Nike), the most valuable apparel brand globally in 2022, ranks 6th out of 65 companies. Since 2021, the company begun disclosing limited information on the forced labour risks it identified in its supply chains, limited data on the use of its grievance-mechanism available to supply chain workers, established an additional grievance mechanism for its Thai supply chain workers managed by the worker-led organisation Issara Institute, and disclosed a responsible recruitment training provided to strategic second-tier suppliers in Taiwan. However, the company did not improve across other themes. The company performed particularly poorly on the theme of Remedy, scoring zero, and scores zero on Freedom of Association. As such, the company has not advanced in rank. The company’s score is based on its stronger performance on the themes of Traceability & Risk Assessment, Monitoring, and Recruitment. Notably, Nike is the second-highest scoring North American company in the benchmark.
KnowTheChain identified one public allegation of forced labour in the company’s supply chains, which concerned indirect sourcing linked to alleged Uyghur forced labour. The company stated, in November 2020, that it confirmed with suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the XUAR. However, further detail on how this is ensured is not provided, and the company does not disclose the steps it has taken to address the risks of alleged Uyghur forced labour across raw materials and supply chain tiers.
Additional steps the company could take to address forced labour risks in its supply chains, include strengthening its disclosure and practices on the themes of Purchasing Practices, Worker Voice, and Remedy.