Suppliers of three big U.S. automakers, General Motors,, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis got clearance for some rare earth export licenses on Monday, one of the two sources said.

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.

The scramble in recent weeks to secure export licences for rare earths shows China has devised a better, more precisely targeted weapon for trade war.