Supply Chain
We seek to enable safe, equitable, fair, and sustainable supply chains across all our businesses. We build long-term relationships with suppliers that align with our values and are committed to constantly improving conditions for workers.
Our Approach
Our approach to enabling a responsible supply chain is rooted in our commitment to workers and based on a model of continuous improvement. We have dedicated teams in key sourcing regions that engage directly with suppliers to communicate our standards, evaluate risks in our supply chain, and help suppliers build their capacities to provide working environments that are safe and respectful of human rights. We also work closely with strategic partners across the globe to enhance our impact.
We focus our efforts in six priority commitment areas:
Safe and Healthy Workplaces
Gender Equity
Fair Wages
Freely Chosen Employment
Environmental Protection
Grievance Mechanisms
Supply Chain Commitments
Safe and Healthy Workplaces
Maintaining safe and healthy workplaces is one of our top priorities. We work with suppliers across the globe to increase worker awareness of safety issues. This includes promoting a culture of shared safety responsibility and developing initiatives to support worker well-being.
Supply Chain Commitments
Gender Equity
Gender equity is a fundamental human right and a necessary foundation of a sustainable supply chain. We strive to engage with more women-owned businesses throughout our supply chains and support women in making their own decisions on health, finances, and career development.
Supply Chain Commitments
Fair Wages
Ensuring workers receive fair pay remains a global, cross-industry issue. We monitor wage payments throughout our supply chains to inform more meaningful supplier engagements, enhance our human rights due diligence processes, and promote continuous improvement in the fair and on-time payment of wages. Our suppliers are required to pay legally required compensation, including overtime and benefits, and we support them in evaluating whether their workers earn enough to meet their basic needs and the needs of their families.
Supply Chain Commitments
Responsible Recruitment and Freely Chosen Employment
Amazon does not tolerate the use of child labor, forced labor, or human trafficking in any form in our operations or supply chain. We advance holistic approaches to combat forced labor and ensure vulnerable workers, especially foreign migrants, have access to transparent information on working conditions including pay, hiring practices, and contract terms. We also strive to enable worker access to remedy.
Supply Chain Commitments
Environmental Protection
We’re committed to sourcing products and services that avoid unnecessary environmental harm, and work with industry experts to increase our understanding of the environmental challenges we face, our performance against them, and effective solutions we can implement to address them.
Supply Chain Commitments
Access to Effective Grievance Mechanisms
We want our supply chain workers to have the ability to voice their concerns about the workplace in a safe and confidential manner. We connect suppliers and service providers with trusted tools, products, and systems to hear directly from their workers about their experiences and support the resolution of issues from workers’ perspectives.
Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by climate change, yet they are also uniquely equipped to design climate solutions. To address the climate finance gender gap that exists for women globally, we’ve partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help launch the USAID Climate Gender Equity Fund (CGEF), a new climate finance initiative designed to remove systemic market barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing climate finance.
Amazon is providing $3 million in funding as a founding partner of the CGEF, which will provide grants for businesses, non-governmental organizations, accelerators, incubators, and grassroots organizations working to advance women-led and gender-responsive climate solutions. CGEF will also fund efforts to help women access the networks and technical skills they need to accelerate the development of their climate change technologies.
Additionally, we’re allocating $50 million from The Climate Pledge Fund to invest directly in climate tech companies run by women, as well as incubators and accelerators that prioritize women-led entities.
Amazon is providing $3 million in funding as a founding partner of the CGEF, which will provide grants for businesses, non-governmental organizations, accelerators, incubators, and grassroots organizations working to advance women-led and gender-responsive climate solutions. CGEF will also fund efforts to help women access the networks and technical skills they need to accelerate the development of their climate change technologies.
Additionally, we’re allocating $50 million from The Climate Pledge Fund to invest directly in climate tech companies run by women, as well as incubators and accelerators that prioritize women-led entities.
Supply Chain Standards
Amazon’s Supply Chain Standards apply to all suppliers of goods and services for Amazon and Amazon’s subsidiaries, including service providers, vendors, selling partners, contractors, and subcontractors. We update these standards at least every three years. We published our latest update in 2022, working with external stakeholders to align our requirements with current best practices and regulatory standards.
Our standards strengthen existing protections on fair wages by encouraging suppliers to assess if pay is sufficient to meet workers’ basic needs and check that suppliers offer equal pay for equal work. We also expanded expectations around supporting workers’ physical and mental health. We introduced several additional elements to our standards, including:
- Protections for workers with disabilities
- Pregnancy-related accommodations
- Workers’ freedom to terminate employment without penalty
- Legal parental leave policies
- Responsible artificial intelligence practices
- An environmental justice provision that encourages suppliers to assess and address environmental equity issues
Aligning Selling Partners With Our Standards
Selling partners are retail vendors and third-party sellers that sell or provide products and services in Amazon stores. Our Supply Chain Standards apply to all products and services offered in our stores. We encourage selling partners to perform due diligence to help ensure their products and services are produced and supplied in ways that respect human rights and the environment and protect fundamental dignity of workers.
If we have reason to suspect that products from our selling partners don’t meet our standards, we may request evidence of due diligence to demonstrate that products were indeed manufactured in accordance with our Supply Chain Standards. We reserve the right to remove products that don’t meet those standards from our stores.
If we have reason to suspect that products from our selling partners don’t meet our standards, we may request evidence of due diligence to demonstrate that products were indeed manufactured in accordance with our Supply Chain Standards. We reserve the right to remove products that don’t meet those standards from our stores.
Supply Chain Transparency
Supply chain transparency is an important tool to help us address risks in our supply chain and identify opportunities for collaboration on systemic supply chain issues. We contribute our supplier list to the Open Supply Hub to foster brand collaboration and action in the industry.
Our supplier list and interactive supply chain map provide details on finished product suppliers of Amazon-branded apparel, consumer electronics, food and beverage, and home goods products. Recognizing the need for further transparency beyond finished product suppliers, we have been working towards greater visibility in upstream supply chains, and have started including some apparel component suppliers in our public supply chain map.
We update our supply chain map annually to provide customers and external stakeholders visibility into where we source. This list was last reviewed in April 2024 and is subject to change, with partial updates provided on a periodic basis. Therefore, at any given time, it may not capture suppliers of all products currently being sold.
Supplier Assessment and Performance
We assess suppliers of Amazon-branded products during onboarding, and periodically thereafter, to evaluate their compliance with our Supply Chain Standards in four categories: Labor Rights, Health and Safety, Environment, and Ethics. These categories include subcategories such as nondiscrimination, emergency preparedness, hazardous substances, and transparency. By assessing the performance of our suppliers, we improve working conditions and strengthen the resilience of our supply chain.
Assessment findings are flagged as high, medium, or low depending on severity. When high- and medium-level issues are identified, we take steps to verify that suppliers have made meaningful progress toward remediation. For low-level issues, we monitor suppliers for continuous improvement through maintenance audits.
See our latest supplier assessment data in our 2023 Sustainability Report.
Conflict Minerals
Amazon conducts due diligence on our private label and contract manufacturing product supply chains, including the potential sourcing of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries. We do this because we believe it’s the right thing for customers. We expect suppliers to support our effort to identify the origin of designated minerals used in our products. Amazon’s Conflict Minerals Report is made public through our SEC filings and can be found on our Investor Relations site under Corporate Governance.
Supply Chain Partnerships
Partnerships enhance our impact and help support sustainability efforts beyond Amazon. We collaborate with credible, knowledgeable, and innovative industry partners around the world who share our vision.
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Amader KothaAmazon partners with the Amader Kotha Helpline to provide workers in the ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh with a platform to voice their concerns related to labor, safety, and other issues. Through the helpline, Amazon gains direct feedback from workers in our supply chain to help us improve working conditions. -
amforiAmazon works with amfori, a leading global business association for open and sustainable trade. Amfori brings together over 2,400 retailers, importers, brands, and associations from over 40 countries to drive social performance and improvements across global supply chains. We accept amfori’s Business Social Compliance Initiative (amfori BSCI) audits as part of our supplier due diligence program. -
Better Buying InstituteAmazon partners with Better Buying, a leading global initiative committed to leveraging supplier data to help drive lasting improvements in global supply chains. Better Buying’s cloud-based platform enables suppliers to anonymously rate the purchasing practices of their buyers and identify which practices the buyer needs to improve. Brands and retailers can then use these data-driven insights to partner with their suppliers to continuously improve, measure progress year over year, and achieve mutually beneficial sustainability outcomes. -
Better CottonAmazon is a member of Better Cotton to support our transition to sourcing more sustainable cotton within Amazon-owned Private Brand apparel products. -
BSRAmazon is a member of BSR, a sustainable business network and consultancy focused on creating a world in which all people can thrive on a healthy planet. We participate in various BSR collaborative initiatives, including Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, Tech Against Trafficking, Global Business Coalition Against Trafficking, Sustainable Production Alliance, HERproject and the Human Rights Working Group. -
BSR HERprojectAmazon partners with BSR’s HERproject, a collaborative initiative that strives to empower low-income women working in global supply chains. Through our participation in HERproject, we help increase the well-being, confidence, and economic potential of women and men in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. -
Catalyst Management ServicesAmazon partners with Catalyst Management Services (CMS), a social investment specialist group, to support suppliers and workers in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this partnership, we help factories establish crisis response plans and provide medical hotlines for workers and their families. -
International Center for Research on Women AdvisorsAmazon works with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) on a multi-year strategy to advance gender equity across global supply chains. Amazon is also part of ICRW’s Gender Equity Worker Engagement Group (GEWEG) to co-finance harmonized, gender-responsive worker voice and employee engagement tools, including a comprehensive set of e-learning modules for suppliers on gender equity. The GEWEG initiative helps member companies understand and address challenges women face and advance their well-being across supply chains. -
Issara InstituteIssara Institute is an independent non-profit organization based in Asia and the U.S. tackling issues of human trafficking and forced labor through worker voice, partnership, and innovation. Through Issara’s Strategic Partners Program, Amazon is advancing our support and commitments to workers, suppliers, and recruitment agencies in our own supply chain and the broader ecosystem. -
NestAmazon partners with Nest, a non-profit organization supporting the growth and development of the global artisan sector to build a world of greater gender equity and economic inclusion. Through their Ethical Handcraft program, which protects the rights of handworkers in the informal sector, and a host of artisan and maker business development programs, Nest is bringing radical transparency and opportunity to the global handworker economy. Amazon serves on the Nest Coalition. -
Open Supply HubAmazon promotes supply chain transparency by supporting innovation and collaboration around open supply chain data. We supported the Open Apparel Registry’s expansion into global retail supply chains and the creation of Open Supply Hub (OS Hub). OS Hub is an accessible, collaborative, supply chain mapping platform that is used and populated by stakeholders across sectors and supply chains. It enables interoperability between datasets and provides a platform for organizations to demonstrate their commitment to transparency by sharing data on a central repository that is accessible to all. We also contributed our supplier list across product categories at the launch of OS Hub in November 2022 alongside more than 600 contributors, including brands and retailers, certification schemes, civil society organizations, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and more. -
PATHAmazon partners with PATH, a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. Our work with PATH helps suppliers in Vietnam build their capacity in prevention and response to COVID-19 and other future crises. PATH provides training for workers, along with mentoring and coaching for managers; supports occupational and mental health care; and equips workers with online tools and resources for long-term impact. -
Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals TradeAmazon joined the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA) in 2020 and became a member of the PPA’s Governance Committee in 2022. The PPA is a multi-stakeholder initiative working to promote ethically and economically sound minerals supply chains, due diligence systems, and local governance systems that uphold human rights and labor rights, support environmental responsibility, eliminate links to armed conflict and corruption, and maximize benefits to the communities where minerals are produced. -
Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value ChainsAmazon made a $1 million contribution to the Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value Chains. The Resilience Fund pools corporate investments to drive local, women-led solutions to some of the toughest problems facing women in global value chains. The Resilience Fund was established by BSR, the UN Foundation, and Women Win, in partnership with corporate investors. It aims to raise $10 million to make strategic, long-term investments in women’s economic resilience, health, and well-being and has committed more than $2.5 million in grants to organizations in South and Southeast Asia. -
Responsible Business AllianceAmazon is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), a nonprofit coalition of companies committed to supporting the rights and well-being of workers and communities worldwide affected by global supply chains. -
Responsible Labor InitiativeAmazon is a member of the Responsible Labor Initiative, a multi-industry, multi-stakeholder initiative hosted by the RBA focused on ensuring that the rights of workers vulnerable to forced labor in global supply chains are consistently respected and promoted. -
Responsible Minerals InitiativeAmazon is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), an initiative of the RBA, which provides companies with tools and resources to make sourcing decisions that improve regulatory compliance and support responsible sourcing globally. We participate in RMI working groups devoted to smelter engagement. -
Responsible Sourcing NetworkAmazon sponsors and participates in the Responsible Sourcing Network initiative YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced. YESS works to provide training to, and manage the assessment of, spinners and fabric mills to identify and address forced labor in cotton production. In 2022, YESS released its first Standard for Fabric Mills and updated its Standard for Spinning Mills, enhancing efforts to improve cotton supply chain due diligence. -
SedexAmazon is a member of Sedex, a global membership organization and solutions provider that empowers companies to build responsible supply chains. Sedex provides businesses with a comprehensive data platform, practical tools, and resources to operate ethically, source responsibly, and work with their suppliers to create fair working conditions for the people who make their products and services. We accept Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits (SMETA) as part of our Responsible Sourcing Program. -
StolenYouthAmazon partners with StolenYouth, a Seattle-based organization with the mission to end child sex trafficking in the state of Washington through prevention, connecting trafficked youth to resources and services, and empowering survivors along their path to recovery and a promising future. We support StolenYouth by providing both financial support and goods donations. -
Sustainable Apparel CoalitionAmazon is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a global multi-stakeholder nonprofit alliance for the consumer goods industry. It’s made up of more than 250 leading brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprofits, NGOs, and academic institutions in apparel, footwear, and textiles working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain. -
Sustaining Competitive and Responsible EnterprisesAmazon works with the Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) program, which is focused on improving productivity and health and safe working environment in small and medium-sized manufacturers. -
SwastiAmazon partners with Swasti, a global public health non-profit committed to ensuring access to quality health care for workers in marginalized communities. With Amazon’s support, Swasti in India established a worker helpline and health protocols for workers returning to work after COVID-19. We also partnered to deliver critical mental health, health care, and social support to workers, their families, and communities. -
Tech Against TraffickingTech Against Trafficking is a coalition of companies collaborating with global experts to help eradicate human trafficking using technology. Amazon is a member of the Tech Against Trafficking steering committee and has leveraged the expertise and resources of AWS to help scale tech solutions across the anti-trafficking field. -
The Centre for Child Rights and BusinessAmazon is a member of the Centre for Child Rights and Business (The Centre). In 2021, we committed to support the Centre’s Joint Action Pledge to strengthen the protection of children’s rights and accelerate action to address child labor in global supply chains. The Centre supports businesses to deliver improvements within their supply chains that not only benefit workers, families, and children, but also deliver positive business outcomes. -
The Climate Resolute CoalitionAmazon is a founding member of the Climate Resolute Coalition, a cross-industry community of practice focused on advancing women’s economic empowerment and climate solutions across value chains. The commitment enhances our ability to accelerate progress on climate by focusing on gender equity and women’s leadership, and vice versa. -
The Copper MarkAmazon is an official partner of The Copper Mark, which oversees the world’s only comprehensive social and environmental assurance program for the copper industry. -
ThornThorn builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse and leverages AWS machine learning tools in their Spotlight and Safer products. Safer is also made available to AWS customers to enable them to identify and address potential child sexual abuse material in their own services and resources. -
Truckers Against TraffickingAmazon is an official corporate sponsor of Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), an organization that seeks to educate, equip, and mobilize members of the transportation and energy industries to combat human trafficking. -
UlulaAmazon partners with Ulula to amplify worker and community voices and create more responsible supply chains. We help connect our suppliers to Ulula’s digital platform to enable workers to anonymously report concerns and seek resolution from factory management. Ulula is available to workers across Cambodia, China, India, and Pakistan. -
USAID - Just Energy Transition (JET) Minerals Grand ChallengeIn 2022, Amazon announced our partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), BHP Foundation, and Chandler Foundation to deliver the Powering a Just Energy Transition Green Minerals Challenge (JET Minerals Challenge). The challenge seeks to catalyze the development, application, and scaling of innovations to strengthen transparency and counter corruption in critical mineral supply chains.
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Supply Chain StandardsOur Supply Chain Standards detail the requirements and expectations for our suppliers, their supply chains, and selling partners who list products in our stores.
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Supplier ManualOur Supplier Manual provides guidance and resources to suppliers of Amazon-branded products on how to meet and exceed the expectations outlined in our Supply Chain Standards.
