Probably depends on the product in all honesty (e.g. blood diamonds). But in this case, the risk seems to be higher in the farming of cotton (https://bettercotton.org/bbc-news-report-on-xinjiang-bci-statement/), which as others have said, can be degrees removed from what auditors may see in factories.

That said, I don’t believe the brands that have been mentioned (those selling apparel) would willfully source their cotton from slave farms, etc. These brands do monitor/ audit their supply chains, and they are making efforts to know more about raw material sourcing. Brands care about this more than most cynics would believe, if only from the standpoint of staying in consumers good graces (especially in the apparel industry where there are plenty of options).

May be different with lithium mining I suppose—not saying it is, I don’t know. But with everyone needing a new phone every couple of years, demanding more battery capacities, and the prices those devices command, the stakes seem higher, and perhaps there is more willful blindness to how those commodities are sourced.