Bitcoin miners brace for tariff effects, as the status of ASICs is still to be decided

Bitcoin (BTC) mining is the next sector to feel the effects of the US-China tariff war. Miners are seeking workarounds, as the status of ASICs and mining rigs remains unclear.

Bitcoin mining is reacting to the US-China tariff war, as the status of machines and their components remains unclear. The SHA-256 competitive mining still relies on Bitmain’s machines, which are either shipped to locations or use rented mining facilities overseas.

The tariff wars flared up just as Bitmain announced new shipments of some of its most powerful ASIC rigs. The S21, currently the most powerful Bitcoin mining machine, is starting to ship this month.

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The 90-day tariff grace period may lead to increased demand for shipping ASIC. Miners may also double down on US-based facilities, with the potential to buy as much hashrate as possible before any shipment obstacles arise.

Tariffs may cause a rush to ship ASICs to the USA

The biggest 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 mining ASIC supply chain.

Some of the mining startups that use components from those countries scrambled to ship as much as possible before tariffs came into effect.

“We started chartering cargo planes out of Malaysia and Thailand to get shipments into the US before the original deadline,” said Vishnu Mackenchery, Director of Global Logistics and Services at Compass Mining.

Based on the latest classification, ASIC miners do not fall under the exempted electronics, and may be shipped with prohibitive tariffs if the trade war is not resolved by the time the grace period ends. Compass Mining is one of the companies bracing for impact, with limited recourse for exemptions based on the current US tariff system and classification.

🚨 Tariffs & Bitcoin Mining Hardware 🚨

Following up on the White House’s April 11th, 2025, update regarding tariff exceptions under EO 14257, let’s dive into the implications for ASIC miners imported into the U.S.

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

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

Luxor Technology, another mining equipment seller, plans to keep users informed, but also hinted that tariffs may be coming to new equipment. As with other electronics, not all supply chains go through China, with smaller tariffs for some of the machines and components.

The US continues to dominate hashrate

Until recently, all mining ASICs from China were still taxed at 25% for entry into the USA. The traders circumvented this requirement by shipping from other countries. Now, those regions will also be hit by reciprocal tariffs, leaving miners to find new potential routes for rigs and supplies. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand may be the most critical markets to be affected.

Currently, the USA remains one of the leading countries by raw hashrate. Top mining corporations like Mara Holdings are expanding their hashrate and building new facilities.

The USA remains a leader both as a pool aggregator and in hosting local mining data centers. | Source: Chain Bulletin

The tariff threat may benefit existing mining corporations, especially those that changed their equipment and locked in higher hashrate. The stocks of US-based mining corporations were up in the past day, while Canaan Mining (CAN), based in China, lost 7.2% of its price down to $0.26.

FoundryUSA, the biggest US-based mining pool, currently produces over 31% of blocks due to the inflow of overseas miners, while also adding its native hashrate. The Bitcoin network is still experiencing peak hashrate at 890 EH/s.