The US government lifted the restrictions on the export of General Electric engines to COMAC as trade tensions between Washington and Beijing ease, Reuters reported. The American engine manufacturer is expected to resume the deliveries of CF34 engines for the C909 and CFM International LEAP-1Cs for the C919 to the Chinese OEM.

The US engine embargo was initially imposed as a retaliatory measure against China's export restrictions on rare earth materials.

COMAC and General Electric have yet to officially confirm the resumption of engine deliveries. Two companies did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.

CFM International, the maker of the two engine types, is a 50/50 consortium of US's General Electric and France's Safran Aircraft Engines. The company's headquarters are located in Cincinnati, OH, while the engines are produced in both the US and France.

While C909s and C919s are assembled in China, the majority of the aircraft's crucial components - including the engines - still come from US and EU manufacturers. A state-owned Aero Engine Corporation of China is currently developing a new CJ-1000A powerplant that is expected to become the second engine option for the C919.