US companies to Washington: Trade ban could thwart US interests

A number of U.S. companies said to be concerned about the Trump administration's ban on Chinese tech companies, such as Huawei, have begun a letter-writing campaign to try to influence decisions being made in Washington. In the notes, the companies argue that blocking Chinese companies from the United States could impede them from competing in lucrative markets, as well as reduce the United States' capacity to innovate, reports Bloomberg.

Logos of GE and Microsoft. [File photo: IC]

In the letter to the Department of Commerce, Microsoft is warning that the proposed restrictions risk isolating the U.S. from international research collaboration and "could thwart U.S. interests."

"Artificial intelligence is a very broad concept," General Electric has cautioned. Defined too broadly, export controls could sweep up medical imaging, where algorithms are being used to scan for diseases, GE added.

The crackdown on Huawei is considered a ripple effect of the ongoing U.S.-China trade tension. U.S. chip makers are among those also expressing concern. Intel, Qualcomm, Xilinx and Broadcom are expected to take a significant hit to their revenue streams now that they've been forced to stop supplying Huawei.