Suppliers | featured news

Apple disclosed a list of its major suppliers for the first time and said its inspections found they were in compliance with its maximum 60-hour work week only 38% of the time.

Wal-Mart has always been an intimidating taskmaster in China, extracting the lowest possible prices from suppliers. Last year it raised the bar a notch for these thousands of mostly small manufacturers, requiring that they meet or exceed all local environmental regulations. Wal-Mart gives them tips on how to boost energy efficiency and cut consumption of raw materials. It also delivers a blunt threat: Manufacturers have until 2012 to meet the new standards or risk being cut from the supply chain.