China has reversed its decision to restrict the export of rare earth minerals, giving Detroit’s Big 3 access to critical minerals used in the manufacture of electric vehicles and catalytic converters.

China has granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the top three U.S. automakers, two sources familiar with the matter said, as supply chain disruptions begin to surface from Beijing's export curbs on those materials.

China views its rare earths as a national security issue, not a trade one, and that’s why Beijing is unlikely to loosen controls any time soon, experts say.