U.S. Customs Holds Bitmain ASIC Shipments of Bitcoin Miners

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is causing delays for U.S. Bitcoin miners, with some shipments of Bitmain Antminer ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) being held at U.S. ports for up to two months.

According to reports from Blockspace on November 25, seven unnamed U.S. mining companies have been impacted by the hold-up, which involves the latest Antminer S21 and T21 models.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, is holding the shipments in response to a request from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

The miners affected by the freeze claim that CBP has been charging holding fees for their equipment. One company reported a fee of over $200,000 for 200 ASICs stuck at the port.

The delays are also being handled by the CBP’s Advanced Targeting Unit (ATU), which typically handles high-risk cargo and travelers. However, it is still unclear whether the situation is related to specific investigations or sanctions. 

Some reports suggest the delays could be tied to Sophgo, a chip designer connected to Bitmain, which was involved in a U.S. Department of Commerce probe over chips found in Huawei’s AI processors. 

Since Huawei has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019, this could be causing a ripple effect on the supply chain. Interestingly, ASICs from other Chinese manufacturers are not facing similar delays, leaving the Bitmain equipment as the only ones being targeted. 

Bitmain, which supplies 98% of the world’s crypto mining chips, has faced accusations of undercutting U.S. chip manufacturers through aggressive pricing. This situation highlights ongoing tensions between U.S. authorities and Chinese companies involved in the crypto mining industry, especially after China’s crackdown on mining in 2021. 

Miners in the U.S. will have to wait and see how this issue develops, as the delays are adding to their operational costs.

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