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

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to restart the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States. Asked directly by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether Xi had agreed to do so,

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