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In a surprising event, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) is allegedly holding imports of Bitmain’s latest Antiminer ASIC miners at ports of entry nationwide.
SCOOP from @theMiningPod
Officials are halting Bitmain units at U.S. ports, industry firms report
The Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) is holding certain imports of @BITMAINtech Antminer ASICs at ports of entry to the United States, Blockspace has learned, from…
— Blockspace Media 🔳 (@blockspacepod) November 25, 2024
During the secret interview, seven U.S.-based mining companies revealed that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requested these detentions without providing a clear reason for timelines for release.
Blockspace writes in an article, “The CBP has held some of these shipments for two months, and the hold ups are “happening nationwide,” said one source, including at ports in San Francisco and Detroit.”
The affected miners include the Antminer S21 and T21 series, the latest series of ASIC miners from Bitmain. In the shocking claims, sources accused FCC and CBP, saying these authorities are not targeting other ASIC manufacturers like MicroBT or Canaan.
The situation has sparked concerns about selective targeting and transparency, especially since companies facing mounting holding fees.
Conspiracy Behind Bitmain Detention
Authorities have yet to clarify why the detentions are occurring. Some industry insiders speculate the holds might be linked to control boards in these Antiminers, which allegedly use chips from Sophgo. Sophgo shares leadership with Bitmain and has faced allegations of supplying chips to Huawei, a company banned in the U.S. since 2019.
The unprecedented scale of these detentions is disrupting Bitcoin mining operations and raising alarms within the industry. One source highlighted that CBP holds extending beyond 30 days without clear communication are “extremely rare” and outside standard practices. In response, companies are now advising peers to avoid specific ports.
When approached, the FCC denied issuing specific orders to hold Bitmain imports, and the CBP has not commented on the reasons behind the seizures.