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.

Options include moving car part manufacturing to China despite tariffs, or just slowing down the push for electric vehicles.

Beijing insists it has met its commitments to “suspend or cancel” its nontariff retaliatory measures to Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs. China announced restrictions on seven rare earths and magnets on April 4, although it never officially said this was in retaliation.