U.S. Producers Tracking Possible Evasion of the Antidumping Order on Small Diameter Graphite Electrodes

U.S. Producers Tracking Possible Evasion of the Antidumping Order on Small
Diameter Graphite Electrodes

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On February 28, 2009 the United
States Department of Commerce ("Commerce") published an antidumping duty order
against small diameter graphite electrodes from the People's Republic of China
("China"). Reported U.S. imports of dumped small diameter graphite electrodes
from China had reached nearly 14,000 metric tons in 2007, prior to the
antidumping duty investigation. Recent information has raised domestic
industry concerns that Chinese exporters are relying on illegal means to avoid
the reach of the antidumping duty order on Chinese electrodes. U.S. producers
have announced that they are carefully monitoring all imported graphite
electrodes and will seek the help of Commerce and U.S. Customs & Border
Protection ("Customs") to ensure effective enforcement of the antidumping
order as necessary.

Several schemes are reportedly being used to evade the antidumping duty order.
Earlier this year, the domestic industry filed a request with Customs to
investigate a number of circumvention schemes, including misclassification of
the product and the country of origin. Recently the domestic industry has
become aware that U.S. importers of Chinese product have claimed the country
of origin of small diameter graphite electrodes as "Korea" despite naming a
Chinese producer as the shipper on relevant shipping documentation. With no
known production of graphite electrodes in Korea, there is no other reasonable
explanation for any subject product originating from Korea other than the fact
that these imports have been misclassified to evade antidumping payments.

"We have seen these sorts of schemes before, many of which may amount to
customs fraud," said David A. Hartquist, counsel for the domestic industry.
"The domestic industry will work directly with Customs and Commerce to halt
any such circumvention efforts. We have found both Customs and Commerce to be
proactive in their enforcement efforts to preserve the integrity of U.S.
antidumping laws, and we strongly support these efforts."

Small diameter graphite electrodes, 16 inches or under in diameter, are
produced from various grades of petroleum coke and are used in ladle
metallurgy and specialty furnace applications in industries including
foundries, smelters, and steel refining operations. Graphite electrodes act
as conductors of electricity in furnaces and generate heat to produce steel
and other materials.

The successful petitioners are Superior Graphite Company and SGL Carbon LLC.
They are represented in this investigation by David A. Hartquist, head of the
International Trade and Customs Practice at Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP.

SOURCE Superior Graphite Company

David A. Hartquist, +1-202-342-8450, dhartquist@kelleydrye.com, for Superior
Graphite Company