Bitmain’s Antminer Imports in Limbo: Speculations Swirl Around Sophgo’s Huawei Ties

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is holding specific imports of Antminer ASIC miners at various ports across the country. Seven US-based bitcoin mining companies, who spoke anonymously, claimed that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had directed the CBP to hold certain deliveries of Bitmain ASIC miners.

Interestingly, other Chinese producers of ASIC mining equipment, like MicroBT and Canaan, have not been subjected to the same treatment.

Miners Face Months-Long Delay

According to Blockspace’s latest report, some shipments have been delayed for up to two months. The hold-ups occurred at ports across the country, including those in San Francisco and Detroit. The affected imports include Bitmain’s latest Antminer S21 and T21 models.

Although the CBP has acknowledged the detention of these goods, it has not provided clarity on the reasons for the hold or a timeline for releasing the shipments.

A source dealing with extended delays, now spanning “months,” said that CBP detentions exceeding 30 days without any formal requests to the Importer of Record (IOR) are highly uncommon and fall well below expected standards.

They also mentioned observing Advanced Targeting Unit (ATU) personnel at certain ports and noted that businesses are increasingly advising peers to avoid specific entry points, particularly those along the West Coast. Another individual revealed that the CBP is withholding roughly 200 units.

Despite repeated appeals for clarity, both the CBP and FCC have declined to respond while continuing to levy daily holding fees that have surpassed $200,000. To address the matter, the affected company has engaged a legal team to seek answers from the FCC.

Sophgo’s Huawei Link Putting Antminers in the Crosshairs?

While the exact cause remains unknown, one possible explanation is the presence of Sophgo chips in Antminer control boards. Sophgo has come under scrutiny for allegedly breaching US sanctions by supplying chips to Huawei, a company subject to trade restrictions since 2019.

Sophgo and Bitmain share the same CEO, Micree Zhan. After a Sophgo chip was reportedly found in a Huawei device, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) ended its business relationship with the company.

Although no definitive link has been established between the import halts and this controversy, sources verified that Bitmain uses the Sophgo CV1835 chip in the Antminer T21 and certain S19 models, including the S19 XP, S19 Pro, and S19j Pro.

Source