Japan’s probe into Chinese products to ‘affect cooperation’

As Japan announced plans on Wednesday to launch an anti-dumping investigation into graphite electrodes imported from China, Chinese experts and industry insiders said on Thursday that the move may be a case of the Asian country following US’ footsteps in containing China, which will not only hinder Japan’s industrial development in the long term but also affect regional cooperation.

Japan’s Ministry of Finance received an application on February 26 from SEC Carbon, Tokai Carbon and Nippon Carbon to impose an anti-dumping duty on graphite electrodes originating in China, according to a notice released by the ministry.

The Japanese Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry claimed on Wednesday that they found that the application had sufficient evidence to justify the initiation of an investigation.

“The investigation is to be concluded within one year, in principle. The ministries will provide opportunities for interested parties, including suppliers in China, to present evidence, while carrying out a factual investigation,” read the notice.

China is the world’s largest graphite exporter. Graphite electrodes are mainly used for steelmaking in electric arc furnaces and are currently the only material with high electrical conductivity that can withstand the extremely high heat in electric arc furnaces.

“Ostensibly, this move is an antidumping investigation aimed at graphite electrodes imported from China. But amid the so-called economic security policy mainly promoted by the US and Japan, the investigation is probably in line with the US policy of suppressing China’s technological development,” Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Xiang noted that the uncertainty during the investigation will cast a cloud over the cooperation prospects between the enterprises of China and Japan.