Trump-Backed Miner Buys 16K Bitmain ASICs Amid Tariff Pressure

TheCryptoTimesPublished on 2025-08-13Last updated on 2025-08-15

American Bitcoin Corp, a Bitcoin mining firm backed by the U.S. President Donald Trump’s family, has placed an order for mining hardware: 16,299 Bitmain application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) units worth around $314 million.

According to TheMinerMag, this purchase is part of an option to buy up to 17,280 machines, boosting the company’s mining power by 14.02 exahashes per second (EH/s) of computing power.

The timing of the deal is no coincidence. U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, including ASICs, are expected to increase costs for Bitcoin mining hardware. Bitmain’s fixed-price deal helps hedge against rising costs from potential U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. This move shows the crypto mining industry’s efforts to counter global supply chain risks and maintain hardware stability.

Tariffs Push Manufacturers Toward U.S. Soil

Trade tensions are already pushing hardware manufacturers to rethink their strategies. According to a Cambridge University report, nearly all Bitcoin mining machines—over 99%—are produced by just three Chinese companies: Bitmain, MicroBT, and Canaan. These firms are now weighing options to relocate some of their production to the US due to rising import duties.

In response to the trade climate, Bitmain had in July announced plans to open its first US-based ASIC production facility by the end of the year. The company is also exploring new headquarters in either Florida or Texas. Currently, Bitmain holds over 82% of the global market, making it by far the largest mining hardware manufacturer.

The Trump administration’s tariff-driven push to reshore crypto manufacturing has drawn some criticism. Skeptics warn it could raise prices, reduce demand from U.S. miners, and leave manufacturers with excess inventory.

America’s drive to reshore mining will be put to the test in the upcoming months as the crypto industry deals with changing trade regulations and growing expenses to see if it can compete with well-established international supply chains. Large bets on a made-in-America future are currently being made by companies such as American Bitcoin Corp.

Also Read: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Hits $91 Billion AuM as BTC Hits New Peak

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