Bitcoin mining hardware firm Bitmain says it has expanded its production line to the United States to improve supply chain efficiency, while trade tensions continue to escalate between China and the US.
“This strategic move aims to provide faster response times and more efficient services to the North American customers,” China-based Bitmain said in a Dec. 9 X post.
Bitmain is a crypto mining equipment manufacturer known for designing application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, with reports estimating it holds as much as a 90% marketshare of Bitcoin miners.
Bitmain said the first batch of Antminer S21 Pro miners will be rolled out later this month, providing a “significant boost” to its industry partners.
Trade restrictions between the US and China have intensified in recent weeks, with the US expanding export controls to limit the sale of high-bandwith memory chips to China, while China announced a ban on critical mineral sales to the US.
A report in late November claimed the US Customs and Border Protection Agency had delayed the delivery of Bitmain’s Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) machines at US ports of entry.
Some US miners have been forced to wait two months to access their Bitmain-manufactured hardware as a result of the delay.
Bitmain has, however, said it hasn’t been involved in any “supply chain investigation as reported by the media recently.”
Bitmain’s expansion also coincides with Trump’s desire for “all the remaining Bitcoin to be made in the USA,” claiming it would help the US become “energy dominant” in a June 12 Truth Social post.
Over 44.3% of the Bitcoin network’s hash rate is based in the US and Canada, according to The Chain Bulletin’s Bitcoin Mining Map, and four of the largest Bitcoin miners by valuation — MARA Holdings, Core Scientific, CleanSpark and Riot Platforms — are also based in the US.
Related: BIT Mining saw 3X profits mining DOGE, LTC instead of just Bitcoin
Meanwhile, US President-Elect Donald Trump has been communicating plans to impose tariffs on imports.
He said the move would eliminate federal income tax in the US — however, several economists aren’t in favor of the idea, while other experts claim he may face legislative hurdles to impose such a measure.
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