Microsoft calls on the Trump administration to lift the ban on imports of Chinese optical modules

According to a report by Reuters, three informed sources stated that Microsoft and other companies and industry groups are urging the Trump administration to stop plans to ban the import of key components for AI data centers from China. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is advancing a related ban involving new optical modules from China, which are used to transmit data via fiber optics within data centers and connect servers, routers, and switches. Microsoft has met with officials from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Council to explain the supply chain challenges that the ban could bring.

John Miller, Vice President of Policy and General Counsel at the Information Technology Industry Council, stated that many cloud service providers have procured AI chips, and without optical modules, these chips will not be able to interconnect. According to Cleanview data, Microsoft currently has 35 data centers under construction in the United States, with another 134 planned. Counterpoint Research data shows that Chinese companies account for about two-thirds of the global optical module market, with Eoptolink and Zhongji Xuchuang as major suppliers.