On May 31, the U.S. Department of Commerce made a preliminary determination on the anti circumvention investigation of small diameter graphite electrode, and determined that the export of small diameter graphite electrode made by British superior graphite company to the United States by China evaded the anti-dumping duty order made by the United States on February 26, 2009.

SGL Garbon, the applicant of this case, accused British superior graphite company of importing small diameter graphite electrodes from China and exporting them to the United States after simple assembly in the United Kingdom, thus avoiding the anti-dumping duty of the United States on this product to China. The US Department of Commerce filed an anti circumvention investigation on March 18, 2011.

The U.S. Department of Commerce initially filed an anti-dumping investigation on my small diameter graphite electrode on February 6, 2008. In February 2009, the United States issued an anti-dumping duty order, with a tax rate of 132.9% - 159.64%.