WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") today unanimously determined that domestic producers of small diameter graphite electrodes from China are being injured as a result of dumping by Chinese producers. An antidumping order therefore will be issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce ("Commerce") within the next two weeks. The vote of the ITC Commissioners today was 6 - 0.

"We are delighted with the outcome of this case," said Andy Stinson, Vice President Technical Sales, Americas at SGL Carbon. "The ITC vote is the last step required prior to the issuance of an antidumping order by the Department of Commerce. This means that fair trade will return to the U.S. marketplace and Chinese producers will be required to price their products in accordance with U.S. law and the rules of the World Trade Organization," he said.

Edward Carney, President & CEO of Superior Graphite, added, "In early January, the U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed that Chinese producers are dumping their products in the United States. Commerce then announced that antidumping duties ranging up to 159 percent would be imposed on imports of all small diameter graphite electrodes from China. This means that for every dollar of imported small diameter electrodes from China that enter the United States, an additional $1.59 in antidumping duties must be paid to the U.S. government."

"SGL Carbon is pleased and relieved to have won this important case on small diameter graphite electrodes," Mr. Stinson said. "Unfair Chinese pricing had forced us out of the production of some of the smaller sizes because we could not match the dumped Chinese prices. SGL Carbon also makes large diameter graphite electrodes, and we are carefully monitoring the behavior of Chinese producers of these products to make sure that they do not cause similar injury to the producers of these electrodes," Stinson said.

David A. Hartquist, counsel to the domestic industry, noted that, "With this important victory today, our next task will be to monitor imports from China to assure that this antidumping order is enforced and the duties are properly assessed and collected. We will be alert to any attempts to circumvent the antidumping order through such techniques as transshipments through third countries, relabeling with false country-of-origin identification, and other attempts to get around the order," Hartquist said.

Imports of such electrodes from China have surged dramatically over the last several years, taking growing market share and causing significant financial harm to the domestic industry. In 2008, imports from China constituted the majority of all imports of small diameter graphite electrodes, taking a large and growing market share from the domestic industry.

Small diameter graphite electrodes 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. Heat is generated by the graphite electrodes as electricity passes through them and creates an electric arc between the electrodes and the raw material.

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