Bitcoin Miners Brace for Tariff Impact as ASIC Status Undecided

Bitcoin Miners Brace for Tariff Impact as ASIC Status Undecided | INFbusiness

Bitcoin (BTC) mining will be the next industry to feel the impact of the tariff war between the US and China. Miners are looking for alternative solutions as the status of ASICs and mining devices remains uncertain.

The Bitcoin mining sector is reacting to the tariff war between the US and China, as the status of the equipment and its components remains in question. Competing SHA-256-based mining still relies on Bitmain machines, which are either shipped locally or use leased capacity overseas.

The tariff wars came as Bitmain announced new shipments of some of its most powerful ASIC rigs. The S21, currently the most powerful Bitcoin mining machine, will begin shipping this month.

🔔Point of sale ANTMINER S21e Hyd.
Cost-effective choice for #BTC mining

✅288T
✅4896 W
✅17J/T
Total 💲12/T

⏰Sale starts April 15th at 9:00 AM (EST)
📦Delivery will be available from April to May pic.twitter.com/jMgq0uaeKW

— BITMAIN (@BITMAINtech) April 15, 2025

The 90-day grace period on tariffs could lead to increased demand for ASIC shipping. Miners could also ramp up their efforts at U.S. facilities in an effort to acquire as much computing power as possible before any shipping bottlenecks arise.

Tariffs May Spur Increased Interest in Shipping ASICs to the US

The most pressing question is whether the promised electronics and mining equipment will be shipped. The US tariffs affect not only China, but also Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, which are part of the ASIC mining supply chain.

Some mining startups using components from these countries rushed to ship as much product as possible before the tariffs came into effect.

We have started booking cargo planes from Malaysia and Thailand to get cargo to the US earlier than planned,” said Vishnu McEnchery, director of global logistics and services at Compass Mining.

Under the latest classification, ASIC miners do not qualify as exempt electronics and could be shipped with high tariffs if the trade war does not end before the grace period ends. Compass Mining is one of the companies bracing for the fallout, with limited tax exemption options under the current U.S. tariff system and classification.

🚨 Tariffs and equipment for bitcoin mining 🚨

Following up on the White House's April 11, 2025 update on tariff waivers under Executive Order 14257, let's look at the implications for ASIC miners that are imported into the US.

In 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) classified…

— Compass Mining 🧭 (@compass_mining) April 15, 2025

Luxor Technology, another mining hardware supplier, plans to keep users informed, but also hinted that tariffs could be imposed on new equipment. As with other electronics, not all supply chains pass through China, and some machines and components are subject to lower tariffs.

US Continues to Dominate Hashrate

Until recently, all mining ASICs from China were subject to a 25% tax when imported into the United States. Traders circumvented this requirement by shipping from other countries. Now, these regions will also face mutual tariffs, forcing miners to find new possible routes for installation and shipments. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand may be the most critical markets to be affected.

At the moment, the US remains one of the leading countries in raw hashrate. Major mining companies like Mara Holdings are increasing their hashrate and building new facilities.

Bitcoin Miners Brace for Tariff Impact as ASIC Status Undecided | INFbusiness The US continues to dominate both as a pool aggregator and as a host of local mining data centers. | Source: Chain Bulletin

The threat of tariffs could have a positive impact on existing mining companies, especially those that have upgraded their equipment and recorded higher hash rates. Shares of U.S. mining companies have risen over the past day, while China-based Canaan Mining (CAN) has lost 7.2% of its value, falling to $0.26.

FoundryUSA, the largest mining pool in the US, currently generates over 31% of blocks thanks to an influx of foreign miners and adds its own hashrate. The Bitcoin network still has a peak hashrate of 890 EH/s .

Source: cryptonews.net

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