U.S. mining companies are facing significant delays in receiving Bitcoin mining equipment from Bitmain due to tighter scrutiny from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These delays, which started in November 2024, have left shipments of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) stuck at U.S. ports. The increased inspections come as a result of growing trade tensions between the United States and China. Industry executives say U.S. Customs has been inspecting nearly all airlifted mining machines, adding to the logistical headaches for mining companies.
Several mining operations have been directly affected. For example, New York-based Bit Digital has had 700 mining rigs delayed for weeks, while an Oklahoma-based mining firm has seen 2,000 rigs held up in customs. The problem has been compounded by a 10% tariff on Chinese imports that took effect on Feb. 1, raising the cost of these machines even further. According to Ethan Vera from Luxor Technology, shipments with Bitmain labels are among those specifically targeted for inspection.
The delays come at a time when U.S. miners are already struggling due to the rising difficulty of mining Bitcoin. As of February 2025, the Bitcoin mining difficulty has increased to over 114 trillion, and the hash price has dropped to just $53 per petahash per second (PH/s). This has made it increasingly difficult for mining firms using older hardware like the Antminer S19 Pro, especially in regions with high electricity and hosting costs. Mining companies have had to adapt to these conditions, and some have diversified into sectors like AI data centers and even started holding Bitcoin as a corporate asset to offset lower mining profits.
These challenges are also tied to wider geopolitical tensions. In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce added Sophgo, an AI company linked to Bitmain, to its blacklist. The move has caused further disruption, especially as Bitmain’s co-founder, Zhan Ketuan, has expanded into AI hardware, distancing the company from its traditional focus on mining equipment. The crackdown on Sophgo is part of broader efforts to limit Chinese access to American technology, especially in the semiconductor and AI sectors.
Amid these pressures, Bitmain is still pushing ahead with plans for a new U.S. facility, though its exact location has not been disclosed. While the company has faced a series of challenges, including the U.S. Department of Commerce's blacklist, the delays and rising costs are expected to negatively impact the profitability of U.S. mining firms.
