Bitmain Sets Up US Bitcoin Miner Production Amid Tariff FUD

Bitcoin ASIC design and mining hardware giant Bitmain has launched a production line in the United States as President-elect Donald Trump signals plans to impose additional tariffs on Chinese exports.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Beijing-based Bitcoin mining chip giant announced its goal of enhancing services for North American customers. “The first batch of ANTMINER S21 Pro units will be delivered this December, providing a significant boost to our partners’ mining competitiveness,” the statement read.

Bitmain had previously established offshore production lines in Malaysia and Indonesia in response to the 25% tariffs Trump imposed on Chinese electrical exports during his first term. Its U.S. expansion reflects concerns over escalating geopolitical tensions and potential tariff hikes as Trump prepares to enter his second term. Shenzhen-headquartered MicroBT, the major rival of Bitmain, already established a production line in the U.S. in 2022 via its manufacturing partner Synos Corp.

Trump recently pledged to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports unless China curbs the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. The proposed tariffs would be in addition to existing trade restrictions. Some Antminer buyers have also reported incidents recently where their imports of T21 and S21 units were held up by U.S. Customs and Border Protection without a clear explanation.

Meanwhile, at least two North American mining firms – IREN and Bitfarms – have reported downtime related to preordered Antminer T21 units received from Bitmain, which is resolving the performance issues.

IREN’s hashrate realization rate dropped to 70% in November and Bitfarms upgraded its remaining T21 orders to the S21 Pro model for an additional $33.2 million. Bitfarms paid the sum in 351 BTC last month, with an option to redeem the Bitcoin for cash later at a fixed rate of $94,600 per BTC.