The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released a significant batch of mining equipment previously held at the border. This was reported by Reuters, citing Taras Kulik, head of Synteq Digital.
“Evidently, there were people in the CBP who disliked bitcoin mining, so they wanted to create a headache for the entire sector, and they quite succeeded,” he noted.
Ethan Vera, Chief Operating Officer of the mining company Luxor Technology, emphasized that only a small portion of the equipment has been released. The remaining units are still under customs control.
The delays in importing Bitmain’s Antminer S21 and T21 ASIC miners began back in the autumn of 2024. The restrictions did not affect equipment from other Chinese manufacturers.
Presumably, this is related to the use of AI chips from the Chinese company Sophgo, which is under trade sanctions. The CBP’s actions were taken at the request of the Federal Communications Commission.
Some companies reported high storage costs for the detained devices. For instance, one company stated that the bill for storing 200 ASICs exceeded $200,000.
The release of the miners occurred against the backdrop of the introduction of 10% tariffs on Chinese imports by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
According to data from The Chain Bulletin, about 38% of bitcoin mining power is concentrated in the US. Major American players include MARA Holdings, Core Scientific, CleanSpark, and Riot Platforms.
Back in December, Bitmain announced the launch of a production line in the US. MicroBT also assembles some of its miners within the country.