Become a Licensed Importer
While the impact of becoming licensed by GoodWeave is profound and far-reaching, the process couldn’t be more straightforward. Rug and home textile importers become licensed by first ensuring that their suppliers are similarly licensed through the GoodWeave office in those suppliers’ respective countries. Once that has taken place, importers can quickly complete the licensing process by executing the Importer License Agreement and completing the Trademark Policy Acknowledgement.
The Trend Toward Transparency
Becoming a licensed importer means building trust and appealing to a growing group of socially conscious consumers. A third of consumers now base their purchasing decisions on brands’ social and environmental credentials, according to a report released by Unilever. GoodWeave’s certification label helps nurture an affinity for your brand, and is seen as a mark of industry leadership. Join 190+ global licensed importers and give your customers the best assurance that their rug or home textile product hasn’t been tainted by human exploitation.
“Simply stated, if it were not for GoodWeave, we could not be in the carpet making business.” – Kerry Smith, Lapchi Co-founder
Minimizing Corporate Risk
The supply chains furnishing handmade rugs and textiles are typically long and complex—and highly susceptible to child, forced, and bonded labor. Increasingly, governments around the globe are adopting meaningful laws designed to enforce transparency and prohibit child labor. GoodWeave is the only organization that reaches the hidden levels of the supply chain, and the only one with a proven approach to ending and preventing the human exploitation.
Credibility
GoodWeave is ISEAL Code Compliant. Our system has been independently evaluated against ISEAL’s Codes of Good Practice – a globally-recognized framework for effective, credible sustainability systems.
Additionally, GoodWeave is assessed against ISO/IEC 17065, an international standard used to ensure our certification process is independent of external pressure, transparent, has effective quality control and confidentiality systems, and treats all producers equally.
A Proven Approach
By joining GoodWeave, you are supporting an organization that has restored freedom to over 9,700 children and deterred hundreds of thousands of children from entering labor. Equally important, you’re making a direct and positive impact on the lives of children by giving them new educational opportunities. The Importer License Agreement stipulates that your suppliers will register their total production capacity with GoodWeave. These producers sign a legally binding contract to produce carpets and/or home textiles without child labor, to disclose their entire supply chain (including all subcontractors) to GoodWeave, and to guarantee unhindered access to all facilities for random, unannounced inspections by authorized representatives.
Marketing Resources
As a licensee, you can broadcast your partnership with GoodWeave on your own website and in your own marketing materials. The GoodWeave Partner Toolkit provides you with the resources to communicate what GoodWeave certification means—and why your customers should care. Our consumer awareness campaign also promotes licensee brands through advertising, global press coverage, and trade shows. Each GoodWeave licensee receives added visibility through our website and its search function. Doing the right thing has never been better for your business. For more information, contact Partnership@GoodWeave.org or +1–202–234–9050.
Download Importer and Exporter Lists
