The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has been holding shipments of Bitmain’s Antminer ASIC miners at ports across the country for up to two months, at the request of the Federal Communications Commission. This move has caused significant delays for seven American Bitcoin mining companies, who are left without any clear answers on when the situation will be resolved. The affected models include the S21 and T21 series miners, with some companies reporting daily holding fees exceeding $200,000.
The reasons behind these detentions have not been disclosed by CBP, and there is no timeline provided for when the issue will be resolved. Interestingly, the holds seem to specifically target Bitmain’s Antminer ASIC miners, as other manufacturers like MicroBT or Canaan are not facing similar scrutiny. The problem appears to be concentrated at West Coast ports, particularly in San Francisco.
One possible reason for the delays could be related to the chips supplied by Xiamen Sophgo, a Chinese semiconductor company that is currently under investigation for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions. Sophgo’s chips, including the CV1835, are reportedly used in certain Antminer models, which may explain why these particular shipments are being targeted. Complicating matters further, Sophgo’s CEO, Micree Zhan, is also a co-founder of Bitmain, leading to speculation about potential connections to the investigation.
The Department of Commerce initiated the investigation into Sophgo after a chip linked to the company was found in a Huawei device. Huawei has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019 due to national security concerns. While there is no confirmed link between these sanctions and the detained Antminer shipments, industry sources believe that the FCC and CBP are inspecting imports for any restricted components.
Overall, the situation remains unresolved, leaving Bitcoin mining companies in limbo as they wait for answers and for their shipments to be released. The impact of these delays is not only financial, with companies facing significant holding fees, but also raises questions about the broader implications for the cryptocurrency mining industry. As the investigation into Sophgo continues, it remains to be seen how this will affect the future of ASIC miners and the companies that rely on them for their operations.