Bitmain Antminer shipments delayed by US customs

The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) is holding up deliveries of Bitmain Antminer ASICs at multiple ports, causing significant delays for US-based Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) mining companies.  

Reports indicate that some firms have been waiting for their shipments of the S21 and T21 series ASICs for over two months. 

According to Blockspace, the CBP is acting on a request from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  

Affected companies are facing substantial holding fees, with one company reporting charges exceeding $200,000 for 200 units.  

The delays are attributed to the Advanced Targeting Unit (ATU) at certain ports, which identifies high-risk cargo.  

Some speculate that the holdup is related to an investigation by the US Department of Commerce into Bitmain-associated chip designer Sophgo.  

This inquiry followed the discovery of Taiwan-manufactured chips, similar to those ordered by Bitmain, in a Huawei AI processor.  

Huawei has been under US sanctions since 2019.  

Interestingly, other Chinese ASIC manufacturers do not appear to be affected by these detentions.  

This suggests that the issue is specific to Bitmain’s products.  

Bitmain, a major supplier of mining equipment, has faced scrutiny in the past for alleged anti-competitive practices, including price cutting and dumping to undercut US chip manufacturers.  

Despite China’s ban on cryptocurrency mining in 2021, Chinese companies continue to mine Bitcoin within the US, adding to the complexity of the issue.