GrafTech International Ltd. filed a trade petition with Brazil’s Department of Trade Defense (DECOM) on March 13, 2026, alleging that graphite electrodes imported from China and India are being sold to Brazil at unfairly low prices, a practice the company calls dumping. The petition was submitted by GrafTech Brasil Participações Ltda., a long‑standing Brazilian subsidiary located in Candeias, Bahia.
DECOM announced on March 11, 2026 that it had begun an investigation into the imports, citing preliminary dumping margins of 54.9% for Chinese electrodes and 57.3% for Indian electrodes. The investigation covers graphite electrodes with diameters of 350 mm or greater, the size range that dominates the market for electric‑arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking in Brazil, which produced 33.3 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, making the country the ninth‑largest steel producer worldwide.
GrafTech’s filing comes amid a broader strategy to protect its market share in key international markets. The company’s Brazil subsidiary has operated for over 50 years and benefits from a vertically integrated supply chain that includes petroleum needle coke, a critical raw material for graphite electrodes. This integration gives GrafTech a cost advantage and supply‑chain resilience that the company argues is threatened by subsidized imports.
The trade action follows a difficult financial period for GrafTech. In Q4 2025 the company reported a net loss of $65 million, or $2.50 per share, and negative adjusted EBITDA of $22 million. The filing is therefore part of a broader effort to counter pricing pressures and preserve profitability in a market that has seen overcapacity and intense competition from low‑cost producers.
In addition to the Brazilian petition, GrafTech has already filed a similar trade petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission on February 24, 2026, targeting large‑diameter graphite electrodes from China and India. The U.S. petition cites dumping margins of up to 147% for Chinese exports and 74% for Indian exports, underscoring the company’s global approach to addressing alleged unfair trade practices.
"This Petition reflects our commitment to ensuring a level playing field for the graphite electrode industry in Brazil and supporting the long‑term viability of our operations and customers in the country," said Timothy Flanagan, CEO and President of GrafTech. The statement signals the company’s intent to use regulatory tools to safeguard its competitive position and protect its customers from the impact of subsidized imports.
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