The U.S. Bitcoin mining industry is facing headwinds as new import tariffs on mining equipment from Southeast Asia go into effect.
What HappenedL Following the expiration of a 90-day tariff pause announced earlier this year, the Biden administration finalized reciprocal tariffs targeting ASIC mining hardware imports from key Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
These tariffs, which take effect on Aug. 7, bring the total levy on imports from these regions to 21.6%, according to documents reviewed by The Block.
Ethan Vera, COO of Bitcoin mining infrastructure firm Luxor Technology, said that while these tariffs are lower than originally proposed, they are still significantly higher than the standard 2.6% import duties that applied prior to 2024.
The increased costs are already discouraging U.S. miners from importing rigs and are redirecting flows of mining hardware to countries with more favorable trade environments, such as Canada.
In contrast, tariffs on rigs from China remain steeper.
Imports from the region currently …