Digital Power Network Submits Recommendations to U.S. Trade Representative Urging Modernization of Trade Policy for Digital Infrastructure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. — The Digital Power Network (DPN), the largest coalition of Bitcoin miners and digital infrastructure leaders in the United States, today submitted formal comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in response to its 2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.
DPN’s submission calls for a modernized trade strategy that recognizes the strategic importance of digital infrastructure, spanning Bitcoin mining, AI computing, and advanced data centers, to U.S. energy security, industrial competitiveness, and global technological leadership.
“America’s digital infrastructure industry sits at the intersection of energy innovation, manufacturing, and national resilience,” said Hailey Miller, Director of Government Relations & Public Policy at the Digital Power Network. “But outdated tariff structures and fragmented trade policy are driving up costs and slowing domestic investment. USTR has a unique opportunity to align trade strategy with the realities of next-generation computing and energy systems.”
Key Recommendations
DPN’s filing identifies major trade barriers in eight priority nations, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Mexico, and Canada, and outlines a series of actions to strengthen U.S. competitiveness:
Reduce tariffs on critical inputs such as steel, aluminum, copper, transformers, and semiconductors to lower domestic buildout costs.
Diversify supply chains for semiconductors, critical minerals, and computing equipment away from China and toward trusted trading partners.
Harmonize international standards and strengthen protection of U.S. intellectual property to safeguard hardware and firmware innovation.
Promote transparent and non-discriminatory procurement practices abroad to ensure fair access for U.S. data center and energy-technology exports.
Coordinate trade and energy policy across USTR, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Commerce (DOC) through an interagency task force on digital infrastructure manufacturing.
Addressing Global Supply Chain Risks
The filing underscores how tariffs on steel, aluminum, and transformers, originally imposed under Section 232, have raised domestic input costs by as much as 8%, threatening U.S. leadership in grid modernization and advanced computing. It also highlights how restrictive certification regimes, data localization mandates, and state-owned enterprise subsidies in foreign markets create persistent disadvantages for U.S. exporters and investors.
“Every major semiconductor, data center, and Bitcoin mining project in the U.S. depends on global supply chains,” Miller added. “We need trade policies that make it easier, not harder, to build digital infrastructure in America. Reducing these barriers will help strengthen the grid, accelerate AI and Bitcoin innovation, and expand energy-aligned industrial growth.”
View DPN’s full submission to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative here.
About the Digital Power Network (DPN):
The Digital Power Network (DPN) is the largest coalition of Bitcoin miners and digital infrastructure leaders in the United States, representing over 85% of the Bitcoin hash rate among publicly traded U.S. mining companies. DPN advocates for policies that promote energy innovation, grid resilience, economic development, and the strategic role of digital assets in the 21st-century economy.