Bitcoin miners scurry to import mining equipment following Trump's China tariffs
|- Bitcoin miners are hurrying to import mining equipment into the US in anticipation of a price spike.
- Due to Trump's tariffs, Bitcoin mining equipment costs are estimated to rise between 22% and 36%.
- Top mining firms reportedly paid double the rate on flights to front-run the tariffs.
Bitcoin (BTC) miners are reportedly scrambling to import mining equipment into the United States (US) following rising tariff tensions in the US-China trade war, according to a Blockspace report on Wednesday. Before the tariffs kicked in, most miners allegedly paid $2 million to $3.5 million extra for flights to get mining hardware into the US.
Bitcoin miners speed up purchases as Trump tariffs take effect
Bitcoin miners are rushing to import mining equipment from countries like China, Malaysia, and Thailand to get ahead of US global tariff policies, per a Blockspace report.
The report noted that major mining firms are chartering private flights at a steep cost of $2 million to $3.5 million per trip to sidestep potential price increases of 22% to 36% in mining machines.
The US reportedly imported $860 million worth of mining equipment in the first quarter of 2025 alone. Blockspace also estimates that US Bitcoin miners bought over $2.3 billion worth of ASIC miners last year.
US miners currently hold nearly 38% of Bitcoin's total mining hash rate, according to data from the World Population Review. This percentage could decrease due to the tariffs as it targets countries producing key mining equipment, including earlier levies of 24% on imports from Malaysia, 36% on Thailand, 32% on Indonesia and Taiwan and 145% on China, noted Blockspace.
As a result, the trade war could slow global hashrate growth and trigger a shift in hashrate distribution from the US to other countries.
Furthermore, the report states that the impact of these tariffs on Bitcoin mining could equal the disruption caused by China's mining ban in 2021. However, the reduced buying power of US miners could ease demand pressure globally, potentially driving down ASIC prices in international markets.
It's also important to note that economic conditions have slightly changed since Blockspace report, considering President Trump's 90-day tariff pause on 75 countries, with the exception of China.
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