China has agreed to fast-track approvals for the shipment of rare earth minerals to the United States and some European Union nations.

Some European auto parts plants have suspended output and German carmaker BMW warned its supplier network was affected by shortages of rare earths, as concerns about the damage from China's restrictions on critical mineral exports deepen.

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.