The latest wave of U.S. semiconductor tariffs is unlikely to impact bitcoin mining equipment manufacturers, as key chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung have secured exemptions thanks to their U.S.-based operations.
Taiwanese officials confirmed that TSMC’s Phoenix facility—operational since 2023—qualifies the company for exemption from the newly imposed 100% import tariffs. South Korean authorities have similarly confirmed that Samsung’s semiconductor plants in Texas shield it from the same measures.
Both companies manufacture the ASIC chips used by major mining hardware firms such as Bitmain, Canaan, and Bitdeer. While Bitmain and Canaan declined to comment, a Bitdeer spokesperson confirmed that the firm partners with TSMC and anticipates opening a U.S.-based miner assembly facility within the next year.
Markets appeared unfazed by the policy shift. Taiwan’s TAIEX index is expected to open Friday up 2.3%, with TSMC shares climbing 3% toward record highs. Meanwhile, Shanghai-based rival SMIC, which lacks U.S. operations and is directly impacted by the tariffs, has still outperformed the Hang Seng Index this week.
Market Snapshot
- Bitcoin (BTC): After peaking at $123,000, bitcoin has cooled off, trading around $117,386.04. CryptoQuant notes weaker momentum and softer on-chain signals could point to near-term consolidation or minor downside.
- Ethereum (ETH): Ethereum is gaining strength, up 6.43% at $3,905.42. Glassnode data shows capital rotating out of Solana and into ETH, with ETH/BTC breaking above its 200-day EMA for the first time in two years. Open interest now stands at $58 billion as network activity hits new highs.
- Gold: The yellow metal rose 0.5% to $3,387 amid market uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs on Indian imports of Russian oil.
- Asian Markets: Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.18%, while the Topix hit a record high of 3,031.78, led by gains in Nippon Chemical Industrial, Miyakoshi Holdings, J-Lease, and Japan Electronic Materials.
- U.S. Stocks: The S&P 500 closed up 0.73% at 6,345.06 on Wednesday. Apple surged 5% after announcing a $100 billion expansion in U.S. manufacturing investments, pushing its total commitment to $600 billion over four years.
