A tentative deal reached in London gives Beijing continued leverage in trade negotiations.

China will place a six-month limit on rare earth export licenses granted to U.S. automakers and other manufacturers, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal, which would give Beijing leverage if tensions with the U.

China's outbound shipments of rare earths in May jumped 23% on the month to their highest in a year, though Beijing's export curbs on some of the critical minerals halted some overseas sales, with shortages rippling through global manufacturing.