US-based crypto miners are facing delays in receiving ASIC mining hardware due to intensified scrutiny of shipments from China’s Bitcoin, the dominant supplier of Bitcoin (BTC) mining rigs.
Bloomberg News reported that industry executives claimed the US Customs and Border Protection has increased their scrutiny of Bitmain’s machines.
The timing aligns with the US Commerce Department’s January blacklisting of Xiamen Sophgo Technologies Ltd., an AI firm affiliated with Bitmain, accused of furthering Beijing’s ambitions in advanced chip production.
These delays are also occurring amid an escalating tension between China and the US. The latest seizures and import hold represent a notable escalation from the CBP’s detainment of Antminer S21 and T21 units last year.
Pressure on regulators to increase
Since 2018, US tariffs have been imposed on Bitmain. The company controls 90% of the market worldwide for Bitcoin mining equipment.
On Feb. 1, President Donald Trump announced an additional 10% levy on Chinese imports, further complicating the landscape for miners reliant on Bitmain’s machines.
Nuo Xu said that the founder of China Digital Mining Association is Nuo Xu.
“US Customs has started randomly inspecting almost all airlifted Bitcoin mining machines since about three months ago.”
He said that as a result, officers will be scrutinizing the machines even more and asking for certificates of origin. This is further delaying shipment.
According to a source who is familiar with this situation, a large Oklahoma mining operation that has 2,000 drilling rigs in it was delayed because of the strict customs inspections. Luxor Technology COO Ethan Vera, a customs official, said that shipments with Bitmain labeling are targeted.
Taras Kullyk, CEO of Synteq Digital (a mining equipment broker), said:
“Heavier tariffs would essentially halt the importation of new-generation hardware into the US, making it completely cost-prohibitive. There will be a ton of projects that will cease construction because they wouldn’t be able to get the hardware.”
The impact on US Mining
The new tariffs are already having a noticeable impact on US mining despite the industry’s remarkable growth over the last six months.
TheMinerMag has compiled CBP statistics that show the total weight of Bitcoin miner rigs imported and their accessories dropped nearly 65% in comparison to January 2025. It is possible that the inability of US mining companies to acquire new equipment for competitive prices will undermine their long-term viability.
Bit Digital, which is based in New York, recently faced a 2-week delay for a shipment that included 700 mining devices. The CEO Sam Tabar described this as a “relatively minor” setback. Others are faced with more serious challenges.
The regulatory pressure also threatens Bitmain’s domination, as competition from China-based MicroBT and California’s Auradine is mounting.
Vera warned:
“I would expect any company buying Bitmain’s machines is going to be at risk right now, including the public ones.”
Bitmain launched its own production line to address the challenges of importing machines in order to combat the situation. It is anticipated that the Antminer S21 Pro will be released from this new US facility, providing miners with the much-needed efficiency boost and reducing operational uncertainty.
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