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US detaining Bitcoin mining equipment at border: report

Author: Content Editor
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been detaining imports of Bitmain’s Antminer ASIC miners, including the S21 and T21 series miners, at ports across the country for up to two months. This has resulted in delays for seven U.S.-based Bitcoin mining companies, with no explanation or resolution timeline provided. Daily holding fees for the affected companies have reached over $200,000. The detentions appear to be focused on Bitmain's products and do not target other ASIC manufacturers. Industry speculation suggests that the delays may be linked to scrutiny of chips supplied by Xiamen Sophgo, a Chinese semiconductor company under investigation for potential violations of U.S. sanctions. Sophgo's chips are reportedly used in certain Antminer models, and the company's CEO is also a co-founder of Bitmain. While there is no confirmed connection between the sanctions and the detained shipments, sources believe that the FCC and CBP may be inspecting imports for restricted components.

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