Microsoft is lobbying the Trump administration to reconsider a plan that would prohibit imports from China of a critical component for AI data centers—next-generation optical transceivers used for high-speed optical data transmission within data centers. Microsoft and other industry players argue that such a ban could slow U.S. data center construction and erode America's competitive edge in the AI race. In September, Microsoft met with White House officials to highlight supply chain challenges. The company currently has 35 data centers under construction in the United States, with an additional 134 in the planning stages.
