Reports indicate a nationwide hold on Antminer S21 and T21 units, potentially linked to FCC investigation.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) is reportedly holding shipments of Bitmain Antminer ASICs at various ports of entry, causing significant disruption to the American bitcoin mining industry. According to seven anonymous sources within the industry who spoke to Blockspace, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requested the CBP to detain these shipments, some for as long as two months. The holds are affecting imports of Bitmain’s latest Antminer S21 and T21 series and appear to be occurring nationwide, including ports in San Francisco and Detroit. Notably, other ASIC manufacturers like MicroBT and Canaan seem unaffected by these actions.
The CBP has offered no official explanation for the detentions, leaving affected companies in the dark about the reasons and the expected duration of the holds. One source, whose shipments have been held for months, described the situation as “beyond usual service standards and extremely rare,” noting that CBP holds typically don’t extend beyond 30 days without clear communication to the Importer of Record (IOR). The presence of Advanced Targeting Unit (ATU) personnel at some ports of entry further suggests an ongoing investigation. Some companies are now advising others to avoid certain West Coast ports due to the increased scrutiny.
The financial impact of these delays is substantial. One company reported having approximately 200 units detained, accruing daily holding fees exceeding $200,000. Frustrated by the lack of communication from the CBP and FCC, this company has retained legal counsel to seek information from the FCC.
While the precise reasons for the import freeze remain unclear, speculation within the industry points towards a potential connection with Sophgo, a chip manufacturer that shares its CEO, Micree Zhan, with Bitmain. Sophgo has come under scrutiny for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions by supplying chips to Huawei, the Chinese tech giant facing U.S. sanctions since 2019. The discovery of a Sophgo chip in a Huawei device led TSMC to sever ties with Sophgo. Some sources suggest the FCC and CBP may be inspecting the detained shipments for Sophgo chips, specifically the CV1835, known to be used in some Antminer T21 and S19 series models. However, it’s crucial to note that Bitmain sources components from multiple vendors, so not every unit of a specific model necessarily contains the Sophgo chip.
