Graftech International Ltd: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

Introduction

GrafTech International Ltd., founded in 1886 and incorporated in Delaware, is a leading manufacturer of high-quality graphite electrode products essential to the production of EAF steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals. We believe that we have a competitive portfolio of low-cost ultra-high power (“UHP”) graphite electrode manufacturing facilities, with some of the highest capacity facilities in the world. We have graphite electrode manufacturing facilities in Calais, France; Pamplona, Spain; Monterrey, Mexico and St. Marys, Pennsylvania (idled in 2024). We are the only large-scale graphite electrode producer that is substantially vertically integrated into petroleum needle coke, our key raw material for graphite electrode manufacturing. This unique position provides us with competitive advantages in product quality and cost.

Our only reportable segment, Industrial Materials, is comprised of two major product categories: graphite electrodes and petroleum needle coke products. Our vision is to provide highly engineered graphite electrode products, services and solutions to EAF operators. Based on the high quality of our graphite electrodes, reliability of our petroleum needle coke supply and our excellent customer service, we believe that we are viewed as a preferred supplier to the global EAF steel producer market.

As of December 31, 2024, our stated production capacity was approximately 178 thousand metric tons (“MT”)1 through our primary manufacturing facilities in Calais, Pamplona and Monterrey. On February 14, 2024, the Company announced a cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan, in response to persistent softness in the commercial environment. This included an indefinite suspension of production activities at our St. Marys facility, with the exception of graphite electrode and pin machining. We also indefinitely idled certain assets within our remaining graphite electrode manufacturing footprint. As a result of these initiatives, our stated production capacity was reduced from approximately 202 thousand MT in 2023 to approximately 178 thousand MT1 in 2024.

Our principal executive offices are located at 982 Keynote Circle, Brooklyn Heights, Ohio 44131 and our telephone number is (216) 676‑2000. Our website address is www.graftech.com (http://www.graftech.com). Information on, or accessible through, our website is not part of this Annual Report. We have included our website address only as an inactive textual reference and do not intend it to be an active link to our website.

Products and Raw Materials

Graphite Electrodes

Graphite electrodes are an industrial consumable product used primarily in EAF steel production, one of the two primary methods of steel production and the steelmaking technology used by all “mini‑mills.” Electrodes act as conductors of electricity in the furnace, generating sufficient heat to melt scrap metal, iron ore-derived products or other raw materials used to produce steel or other metals. We estimate that, on average, the cost of graphite electrodes represents less than 5% of the total production cost of steel in a typical EAF, but they are essential to EAF steel production. Graphite electrodes are currently the only known commercially available products that have the high levels of electrical conductivity and the capability to sustain the high levels of heat generated in EAF steel production. As a result, EAF steel manufacturers require a reliable supply of high-quality graphite electrodes. Graphite electrodes are also used in steel refining ladle furnaces and in other processes, such as the production of titanium dioxide, stainless steel, silicon metals and other ferrous and non‑ferrous metals.

With the growth of EAF steel production, graphite electrode production has become focused on the manufacturing of UHP electrodes, which have low electrical resistivity and strong durability to maximize efficient use of electricity in the EAF and minimize electrode consumption. The production of UHP electrodes requires an extensive proprietary manufacturing process and material science knowledge, including the use of higher quality needle coke blends. We manufacture graphite electrodes ranging in size up to 31.5 inches (800 millimeters) in diameter, over 11 feet (3,400 millimeters) in length, and weighing as much as 5,900 pounds (2.6 MT). In 2024, we expanded our product offerings to include the addition of the 800-millimeter super-sized electrode to our portfolio to serve a small but growing segment of the UHP electrode market. We also manufacture corresponding sizes of graphite connecting pins, which are used by customers to connect and fasten graphite electrodes together in a column for use in an EAF. Prior to 2023, all of our connecting pin production was performed at our Monterrey, Mexico facility. However, in 2023, we added pin production capabilities at our Pamplona, Spain facility to provide

1 Production capacity reflects expected maximum production volume during the period through our Calais, Pamplona and Monterrey facilities depending on product mix and expected maintenance outage. Actual production may vary.

an alternative source, if needed, for this critical component. The Company continues to explore opportunities to increase its pin manufacturing capabilities. The total manufacturing time of a UHP graphite electrode and its associated connecting pin is, on average and except for special requests, approximately six months.

The size of the electrodes used in EAF steel production varies depending on the size of the furnace, the size of the furnace’s electric transformer and the planned productivity of the furnace. In a typical furnace using alternating electric current and operating at a typical number of production cycles per day, three UHP graphite electrodes are fully consumed (requiring the addition of new electrodes), on average, every eight to ten operating hours. UHP graphite electrodes are consumed at a rate of approximately 1.7 kilograms per MT of steel production, on average, in EAF facilities.

The actual rate of consumption and addition of electrodes for a particular furnace depends primarily on the efficiency and productivity of the furnace. Therefore, demand for graphite electrodes is directly related to the amount and efficiency of EAF steel production. EAF steel production requires significant heat (as high as 5,000° F) to melt the raw materials, primarily scrap metal, in the furnace. Heat is generated as electricity (as much as 150,000 amps) passes through the electrodes and creates an electric arc between the electrodes and the raw materials.

Graphite Electrode Industry - Supply and Demand Trends

Supply trends

We estimate that as of the end of 2024, the graphite electrode industry globally (excluding China) had nameplate capacity to produce approximately 786 thousand MT of graphite electrodes. The industry is fairly consolidated, with the five largest global (excluding China) producers in the industry, GrafTech, Resonac Holdings Corporation, HEG Limited, Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. and Graphite India Limited, collectively, representing approximately 82% of global (excluding China) graphite electrode production capacity. As of December 31, 2024, our stated production capacity was approximately 178 thousand MT through our Calais, Pamplona and Monterrey facilities and represented approximately 23% of the global (excluding China) graphite electrode production capacity.

We believe that no new graphite electrode production facilities have been built outside of China for several years. In recent years, additional production capacity has been generated by optimization and debottlenecking of existing assets and limited brownfield expansion.

We primarily compete in the UHP segment of the graphite electrode market. We estimate that, as of the end of 2024, global (excluding China) UHP graphite electrode capacity was approximately 670 thousand MT, or approximately 85% of the global (excluding China) graphite electrode capacity.

Although graphite electrode production capacity within China exceeds that of the rest of the world combined, the production landscape in China is fragmented, and the quality of Chinese graphite electrodes varies greatly. We estimate that as of the end of 2024, total production capacity within China for the UHP segment of graphite electrodes was approximately 800 thousand MT. However, we believe that a significant portion of the UHP electrodes produced in China do not meet the quality standards needed to be exported for use in the most demanding EAF applications. In addition, the imposition of customs duties and other tariffs in key EAF steelmaking regions, including the United States and the European Union (“EU”), have further limited the quantity of graphite electrodes exported from China.

Demand trends

We estimate that annual global (excluding China) UHP graphite electrode demand has been approximately 660 thousand MT, on average, over the past three years. UHP graphite electrodes are primarily used in the EAF steelmaking process, and long-term global growth of EAF steel production has driven increased demand for graphite electrodes over time. EAF steelmaking has historically been the fastest-growing segment of the global steel market. According to data derived from World Steel Association (“WSA”) reporting, global (excluding China) EAF steel production grew at a 2%-3% compound annual growth rate from 2015 to 2023, the most recent year for which WSA has published such figures. This compares to a 1% compound annual growth rate for overall global (excluding China) steel production during this same period. As a result, the EAF method of steelmaking accounted for 50% of the global (excluding China) steel production in 2023, compared to 44% in 2015, with share growth in nearly every region.

EAF steelmaking is more energy efficient and is advantaged in terms of its environmental footprint, compared to steel produced through the basic oxygen furnace (“BOF”) steelmaking model. According to the Steel Manufacturers Association (“SMA”), EAF steelmaking produces 75% fewer carbon dioxide emissions compared to BOF steelmaking. Further, SMA notes that the EAF process is a sustainable model for recycling scrap-based raw materials into new steel, which is 100% (and infinitely) recyclable at the end of its useful life. In addition to these advantages, EAF steel producers benefit from their flexibility in sourcing iron units, being able to make steel from either scrap or alternative sources of iron, such as direct reduced iron and hot briquetted iron, both made directly from iron ore.

Reflecting these and other competitive advantages, we believe EAF steel production will continue to grow at a faster rate than BOF steel production. Based on industry announcements of planned incremental EAF capacity additions and factoring in further production increases at existing EAF steel plants, we estimate this could result in global (excluding China) UHP graphite electrode demand growing at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 3% to 4% through 2029.

Petroleum Needle Coke

Petroleum needle coke, a crystalline form of carbon derived from decant oil, is the key raw material we use in the production of graphite electrodes. It is also a primary raw material utilized in the production of synthetic graphite used in anodes for lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (“EV”).

Petroleum needle coke is produced through a manufacturing process very similar to a refinery. The production process converts decant oil, a byproduct of the gasoline refining process, into petroleum needle coke. Pitch needle coke, used principally by Chinese graphite electrode manufacturers, is made from coal tar pitch, a byproduct of coking metallurgical coal used in BOF steelmaking. For the production of our graphite electrodes, we prefer petroleum needle coke because of the meaningfully shorter bake and graphitizing time required, compared to graphite electrodes produced using pitch needle coke.

We are substantially vertically integrated into petroleum needle coke through our Seadrift facility (“Seadrift”), located in Port Lavaca, Texas, which provides the majority of our petroleum needle coke requirements used to produce our graphite electrodes and insulates us from rapid changes in the petroleum needle coke market. In addition, we believe the quality of Seadrift’s petroleum needle coke is superior for graphite electrode production compared to most of the petroleum needle coke available to our peers on the open market, allowing us to produce high-quality electrodes in a cost‑efficient manner. Seadrift sources all of its decant oil requirements from reputable U.S.-based suppliers. Seadrift has developed a well-diversified pool of suppliers, which we believe is sufficient to meet our needs.

Graphite electrode producers combine petroleum needle coke and/or pitch needle coke with binders and other ingredients to form graphite electrodes. Petroleum needle coke and pitch needle coke, relative to other varieties of coke, are distinguished by their needle-like structure and their quality, which is measured by the presence of impurities, principally sulfur, nitrogen and ash. Petroleum needle coke and pitch needle coke are typically low in these impurities. Additionally, the needle-like structure of petroleum and pitch needle coke creates expansion along the length of the electrode, rather than the width, which reduces the likelihood of fractures.

Petroleum Needle Coke Industry - Supply and Demand Trends

Supply Trends

We estimate that, as of the end of 2024, the petroleum needle coke industry globally (excluding China) had capacity to produce approximately 750 thousand MT of petroleum needle coke. The global (excluding China) industry is highly concentrated as it is comprised of four producers, Phillips 66, GrafTech (via Seadrift), Petrocokes Japan Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation) and ENEOS Holdings, Inc. Our Seadrift facility, with nameplate capacity to produce approximately 140 thousand MT of calcined petroleum needle coke, represents nearly one-fifth of the global (excluding China) production capacity.

Petroleum needle coke production capacity outside of China has remained relatively flat for many years due to the capital intensity, technical know-how and long permitting lead times required to build greenfield needle coke production facilities.

Chinese petroleum needle coke production is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, with a primary focus on serving the EV market, as China is currently the largest producer of EV batteries. Although this may provide sufficient capacity to meet global petroleum needle coke needs for the next several years, as demand from emerging non-Chinese EV battery producers continues to increase, we believe that regional supply-demand imbalances will occur, particularly in North America and Europe, in the coming years.

Demand Trends

We estimate that global (excluding China) needle coke demand for use in UHP graphite electrode production has been approximately 550 thousand MT, on average, over the past three years with the majority being petroleum needle coke. With demand for UHP graphite electrodes expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 3% to 4% through 2029 (see “Graphite Electrode” section above), we expect this to result in a similar increase in demand for needle coke used in graphite electrode production.

While the vast majority of petroleum needle coke produced globally (excluding China) is currently used in the production of graphite electrodes, its use in lithium-ion batteries for the EV market is expected to grow with the increased production of these vehicles. Most EVs rely on lithium-ion batteries as their key performance component, with graphite being the key material used for the carbon anode portion of the batteries. Although both natural and synthetic graphite are used in anodes for lithium-ion batteries, EV manufacturers prefer synthetic graphite, which is produced using needle coke, because of its advantages in terms of charging rate and capacity, providing batteries with longer driving ranges and longevity.

Based on Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates for growth in battery anodes, we estimate this could result in global needle coke demand for use in EV applications increasing at a 20% or more compound annual growth rate through 2029. While synthetic graphite can be produced from either petroleum needle coke or pitch needle coke, petroleum needle coke has superior characteristics for EV battery applications, as it does with graphite electrode applications. As a result, demand growth for petroleum needle coke for use in the EV market is expected to be higher than that of overall needle coke demand growth. As noted above, with North American and European EV manufacturers increasing focus on domestic sourcing of battery material needs, we believe that regional supply-demand imbalances will occur for petroleum needle coke in the coming years.

Contracts and Customers

Our customers include major steel producers and other ferrous and non-ferrous metal producers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (collectively, “EMEA”), the Americas, and Asia-Pacific (“APAC”), which sell their products primarily into the automotive, construction, appliance, machinery, equipment and transportation industries.

We sell our products under short-term purchase agreements, multi-year purchase agreements and spot sales.

Our short-term agreements are either annual, semi-annual or quarterly. Because of the long production time, the book building process is largely concentrated in the fourth quarter of each year for the annual short-term agreements as well as for the semi-annual agreements related to the first half of the upcoming year. Spot purchase orders are entered into with deliveries usually starting three or more months later. The price of our short-term agreements is determined through contract negotiations with our customers and is influenced by the then-prevailing price on spot purchase orders as well as the anticipated supply-demand situation at the time of the planned deliveries. There is a lag between the time we negotiate prices for our short-term agreements and when our electrodes are delivered and recognized as revenue.

There is no widely accepted graphite electrode reference price. Pricing has historically been cyclical, reflecting the demand trends of the global EAF steelmaking industry and supply of graphite electrodes. Moreover, as petroleum needle coke represents a significant percentage of the raw material cost of graphite electrodes, graphite electrodes have typically been priced at a spread to petroleum needle coke. Over the period from 2005 to 2024, the average graphite electrode spread over petroleum needle coke was approximately $4,000 per MT, on an inflation-adjusted basis using constant 2024 dollars, although recent spreads have been narrower. In tight demand markets, this spread has increased, resulting in higher graphite electrode prices. Historically, between 2005 and 2024, our weighted-average realized price of graphite electrodes, excluding volume sold under our take-or-pay agreements with initial term of three-to-five years (“LTAs”), was approximately $6,000 per MT, on an inflation-adjusted basis using constant 2024 dollars.

Our LTAs were entered into between the end of 2017 and early 2019, which coincided with a period of elevated market prices for graphite electrodes. As graphite electrodes are an essential consumable in the EAF steel production process, the LTAs provided certainty of supply of reliable, high-quality graphite electrodes in a periodically volatile market. These LTAs have fixed prices and volumes. Within the contract, our customers are contractually bound to purchase the specified volume of product at the price under the contract. Sales from our LTAs represented 22%, 41% and 68% of our net sales in 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Sales from LTAs represented 18% of our net sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 and we are substantially complete with these agreements.

As the substantial majority of our LTAs have expired, our mix of business has shifted towards short-term purchase agreements and spot purchase orders (“non-LTAs”). We will continue to offer multi-year agreements, also known as electrode supply agreements, as an important part of our commercialization strategy and value proposition. Our substantial vertical integration into petroleum needle coke supports our ability to offer contracts with varying durations, providing our customers with flexibility and surety of supply. However, we do not anticipate that multi-year agreements will make up the majority of our portfolio moving forward.

2024 Revenue and Production By Region

Approximately 90% of our graphite electrodes were purchased by EAF steel producers in 2024. The remaining portion is primarily used in various other ferrous and non-ferrous melting applications, fused materials, chemical processing, and alloy metals. We sell our products in every major geographic region globally. Sales of our products to buyers outside the United States accounted for approximately 68%, 67% and 73% of net sales in 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Overall, in 2024, we generated 89% of our net sales from EMEA and the Americas.

The charts below show our revenue by region for 2024 and 2023:

Sales and Customer Service

We differentiate and sell the value of our graphite electrodes primarily based on product quality and performance, delivery reliability and customer technical service.

We have a large customer technical service organization, with supporting application engineering and scientific groups and approximately 30 engineers and specialists around the world serving in this area. We believe that we are one of the industry leaders in providing value-added technical services to our customers.

Our direct sales force currently operates from 13 sales offices located around the world. We sell our graphite electrodes primarily through our direct sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors, all of whom are trained and experienced with our products.

We have customer technical service personnel based around the world to assist customers to maximize their production and minimize their costs. A portion of our engineers and technicians provide technical service and advice to key steel and other metals customers. These services relate to furnace applications and operation, as well as furnace upgrades to reduce energy consumption, improve raw material costs and increase output.

We believe we have a competitive advantage in offering customers ArchiTech® Furnace Productivity System 6.0 (“ArchiTech”), which is an advanced support and technical service platform in the graphite electrode industry. ArchiTech, which has been installed in customer furnaces worldwide, enables our engineers to work with our customers seamlessly to maximize the performance of their furnaces and provide real-time diagnostics and troubleshooting. The arc furnace monitoring system team is continuously listening to our customers’ needs and develops new functionalities for the ArchiTech environment.

Distribution

We deploy various demand management and inventory management techniques to seek to ensure that we can meet our customers’ delivery requirements while still maximizing the utilization of our production capacity. We can experience significant variation in our customers’ delivery requirements as their specific needs vary and change throughout the year. We generally seek to maintain appropriate inventory levels, taking into account these factors as well as the significant differences in manufacturing cycle times for graphite electrode products and our customers’ products.

Finished products are usually stored at our manufacturing facilities. Limited quantities of some finished products are also stored at local warehouses around the world to meet customer needs.

Research and Development

We have over 135 years of experience in the research and development (“R&D”) of graphite- and carbon-based solutions. By focusing our management’s attention and R&D spending on the graphite electrode business, we have been able to improve the quality of our graphite electrodes, maintain our position as an industry leader and improve our relationships with strategic customers. Our focus on improving the quality of petroleum needle coke through R&D has led to our petroleum needle coke production at Seadrift being best-in-class for use in the manufacturing of highly durable UHP electrodes. Simultaneously, the R&D team helps to evaluate technology in adjacent markets where GrafTech may have technological advantages. We believe that the above strengths and capabilities provide us with a competitive advantage.

Intellectual Property

We believe that our intellectual property, consisting primarily of patents and proprietary know-how, provides us with competitive advantages and is important to our growth opportunities. Our intellectual property portfolio is extensive, with approximately 100 U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications.

We own, have the right to use or have obtained licenses for various trade names and trademarks used in our businesses. For example, the UCAR trademark is owned by Union Carbide Corporation (“Union Carbide”) (which was acquired by Dow Chemical Company) and is licensed to us on a worldwide, exclusive and royalty-free basis until January 2035. This particular license automatically renews for successive 10-year periods. It permits non-renewal by Union Carbide at the end of any renewal period upon five years notice of non-renewal.

We rely on patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, as well as appropriate agreements to protect our intellectual property. Among other things, we seek to protect our proprietary know-how and information by requiring employees, consultants, strategic partners and others who have access to such proprietary information and know-how to enter into confidentiality or restricted use agreements.

Insurance

We maintain insurance against civil liabilities relating to personal injuries to third parties, for loss of or damage to property, for business interruptions, for directors and officers and for certain environmental matters, that provides coverage, subject to the applicable coverage limits, deductibles and retentions, and exclusions, that we believe is appropriate upon terms and conditions and for premiums that we consider fair and reasonable in the circumstances. There can be no assurance that we will not incur losses beyond the limits of or outside the coverage of our insurance.

Regulatory Matters

As a company with global operations, we are subject to the laws and regulations of the United States and the multiple foreign jurisdictions in which we operate or conduct business as well as the rules, reporting obligations and interpretations of all such requirements and obligations by various governing bodies, which may differ among jurisdictions. These include federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations, increasingly complex and changing laws and regulations enacted to protect business and personal data in the United States and other jurisdictions, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), anti-corruption laws, import/export controls, anti-competition laws, U.S. securities laws and a variety of regulations including work-related and community safety laws. We believe we operate in compliance in all material respects with applicable laws and regulations, and maintaining compliance with them is not expected to materially affect our capital expenditures, earnings and competitive position. Estimates of future costs for compliance with U.S. and foreign environmental protection laws and regulations, and for environmental liabilities, are necessarily imprecise due to numerous uncertainties, including the impact of potential new laws and regulations, the availability and application of new and diverse technologies, the extent of insurance coverage, the potential discovery of contaminated properties, or the identification of new hazardous substance disposal sites at which we may be a potentially responsible party (“PRP”) and, in the case of sites subject to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and similar state and foreign laws, the final determination of remedial requirements and the ultimate allocation of costs among the PRPs. Subject to the inherent imprecision in estimating such future costs, but taking into consideration our experience to date regarding environmental matters of a similar nature and facts currently known, we estimate that our costs and capital expenditures (in each case, before adjustment for inflation) for environmental protection regulatory compliance programs and for remedial response actions will not be material over the next several years. Furthermore, we establish accruals for environmental liabilities when it is probable that a liability has been or will be incurred, and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. We adjust the accrual as new remedial actions or other commitments are made, as well as when new information becomes available that changes the prior estimates previously made and we believe our existing accruals are reasonable.

Human Capital Resources

Employment

As of December 31, 2024, we had 1,072 employees (excluding contractors), 629 of which were hourly employees. A total of 401 employees were in Mexico, 405 were in Europe, 230 were in the United States, 32 were in Brazil, three were in the Asia Pacific region and one was in the Middle East.

As of December 31, 2024, 647 employees, or approximately 60% of our worldwide employees, were covered by collective bargaining or similar agreements. We believe that, in general, our relationships with our employees’ unions are good and that we will be able to renew or extend our collective bargaining or similar agreements on reasonable terms as they expire. We have not had any material work stoppages or strikes initiated by our employees during the past year.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of our global team is a top priority and is a core value of the Company. Our comprehensive programs strive to achieve zero injuries and no harm done. Our total recordable incident rate in 2024 was 0.59 per 200,000 work hours, compared to 0.61 per 200,000 work hours in 2023. Our global Health, Safety and Environmental Protection (“HS&EP”) policy applies to all employees and governs our actions and decisions every day. We also have a Code of Conduct and Ethics for Suppliers and Contractors that includes HS&EP guidelines required for doing business with GrafTech. GrafTech’s focus on HS&EP is a top priority for all employees. We have built risk recognition into our HS&EP programs. From pre-job planning, safety walks and inspections, planned job observations, or training employees on health and safety best practices, we strive to identify and mitigate risks. In the spirit of continuous improvement, regular inspections, internal reviews and corporate audits are conducted to foster compliance with our high standards.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are foundational to our culture, and all employees are expected to uphold these values in their day-to-day work. Our recruitment policies and hiring practices support our diversity and inclusion objectives. At both the corporate and site levels, we assign responsibilities for upholding policies, procedures, and practices for diverse and inclusive hiring and talent management. GrafTech affirms its position as an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, employing, and promoting qualified veterans and disabled individuals, and we aim to ensure our people have equal opportunities related to job promotions, compensation and benefits, and personal development.

Our global footprint lends itself to organic diversity, and our employee base has varied educational backgrounds and life experiences. We measure and track our diversity and intentional talent acquisition, retention, and development practices.

Compensation and Total Rewards

We aim to attract and retain top talent from a diverse pool of skilled workers by providing competitive compensation and benefit programs to help meet the needs of our employees. Our programs are designed to support the profitable growth of our business; attract, reward, and retain the talent we need to succeed; support the health and overall well-being of our employees; and reinforce a performance-based culture.

In addition to base compensation, we offer individual and group-based performance bonuses. Benefits packages include, depending on the country, medical, dental, prescription, vision, group life insurance, short- and long-term disability, paid vacation and holidays, and tuition reimbursement. The tuition reimbursement program, in particular, helps employees who want to continue their education or seek specialized job training, and illustrates our commitment to continued learning and focus on professional development.

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is a priority at GrafTech because we believe that engaged employees help us provide high-quality products and services to our customers. We conducted our last employee engagement survey in October 2022.

Approximately 56% of full-time GrafTech employees participated in the October 2022 survey. The survey requested feedback from our employees on a variety of important topics, including safety, pay, communication and training.

Employee Training and Development

As committed stakeholders in the professional development of our employees, we look for opportunities to help employees grow, innovate, and impact our business and industry. Each role within our organization has a detailed job profile, including job-specific competencies. These profiles help us measure performance, and they work in conjunction with our performance management system, which enables employees to create individualized career and growth paths. The performance management system connects employees with job-specific professional development training and continuing education opportunities to help them progress along their career and growth path.

We conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews for all salaried employees to assess both individual job competencies and performance relative to GrafTech’s core competencies. During annual performance reviews, we discuss progress towards personal career goals, refine career aspirations, and connect employees with specific pathways to achievement. Employees are encouraged to work with their manager or human resources to further refine their career and growth paths at each annual review.

Available Information

We make available, free of charge, on or through our website, our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with, or furnish them to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We maintain our website at https://www.graftech.com. Information on, or accessible through, our website is not part of this Annual Report. We have included our website address only as an interactive textual reference and do not intend it to be an active link to our website.

Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow can be affected by a number of factors, whether currently known or unknown, including but not limited to those described below. You should carefully read all of the information included in this Report and carefully consider, among other matters, the following risk factors, as well as any discussed under Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Although the risks are organized by headings, and each risk is discussed separately, many are interrelated. Moreover, the risks below are not the only risks we face and additional risks not currently known to us or that we presently deem immaterial may emerge or become material at any time. The occurrence of any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow, in which case, the market price of our securities could decline. You should not interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized.

Risks related to our business and industry

We are dependent on the global steel industry generally and the EAF steel industry in particular, which historically have been highly cyclical, and a downturn in these industries may materially adversely affect our business.

We sell our products primarily to the EAF steel production industry. The EAF steel production industry historically has been highly cyclical and is affected significantly by general economic conditions. As a result, we have experienced periods of significant net losses.

Significant customers for the steel industry include companies in the automotive, construction, appliance, machinery, equipment and transportation industries, which are industries that were negatively affected by the general economic downturn and the deterioration in financial markets, including severely restricted liquidity and credit availability, in the past.

Our customers, including major steel producers, have in the past experienced and may again experience downturns or financial distress that could adversely impact our ability to collect our accounts receivable on a timely basis or at all.

Pricing for graphite electrodes has historically been cyclical and the price of graphite electrodes may continue to decline in the future.

Pricing for graphite electrodes has historically been cyclical, reflecting the demand trends of the global EAF steelmaking industry and the supply of graphite electrodes. In addition, as petroleum needle coke reflects a significant percentage of the raw material cost of graphite electrodes, graphite electrodes have historically been priced at a spread to petroleum needle coke, which in the past has increased in tight demand markets. Between 2005 and 2024, our weighted-average realized price of graphite electrodes for non-LTAs was approximately $6,000 per MT (on an inflation‑adjusted basis using constant 2024 dollars).

During the last demand trough in 2016, our weighted-average realized price of graphite electrodes for non-LTAs fell to approximately $3,000 per MT, on an inflation‑adjusted basis using constant 2024 dollars. Following the significant rationalization of graphite electrode production globally, the resumption of growth in EAF steel production, falling scrap prices, reductions in Chinese steel exports and constrained supply of needle coke, graphite electrode prices reached record highs in 2018.

Prices as of December 31, 2024 have receded from the highs of 2018, and the price of graphite electrodes may continue to decline in the future. Beginning in 2023 and continuing throughout 2024, spot prices began decreasing given the softer commercial environment. Spot prices for the year ended December 31, 2024 were approximately $4,200 per MT on a weighted-average basis. Our business, financial condition and operating results are being materially and adversely affected by the spot price of graphite electrodes as of December 31, 2024 and could be materially and adversely affected further to the extent prices for graphite electrodes continue to decline in the future, particularly as we implement our price increase initiative as described below.

We may be unable to realize the benefits of our initiative to increase prices on our products in certain of our regions and furthermore may lose market share in these regions as a result of this initiative, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flow, liquidity and financial condition.

In February 2025, we informed our customers of our intention to increase prices on volume that is not yet committed. This is just one initiative we expect to accelerate our path to profitability and support our ability to invest in our business for the long term. We operate in a highly competitive industry and, as a result, we may not be successful in raising or maintaining our existing prices. General economic, competitive or market-specific conditions may limit our ability to raise prices or otherwise impact our plans with respect to implementing price increases. In addition, we may lose customers who choose to source their graphite electrodes from a competitor who has not increased prices. If we are unable to successfully execute this initiative to increase prices, there may be material adverse effects on our market share, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity and financial condition.

Global graphite electrode overcapacity has adversely affected graphite electrode prices in the past, and is currently doing so now, which is negatively impacting our sales, margins and profitability.

Overcapacity in the graphite electrode industry has adversely affected pricing in the past, and is currently doing so now. Global graphite electrode production capacity that outpaces demand for graphite electrodes adversely affects the price of graphite electrodes. Excess production capacity is resulting in manufacturers producing and exporting electrodes at prices that are lower than prevailing domestic prices, and sometimes at or below their cost of production. Excessive imports into the Americas and EMEA, which markets collectively made up 89% of our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, can also exert downward pressure on graphite electrode prices, which negatively affects our sales, margins and profitability.

The graphite industry is highly competitive. Our market share, net sales or net income could decline due to vigorous price and other competition.

Competition in the graphite industry (other than, generally, with respect to new products) is based primarily on price, quality/performance, local presence, product portfolio, delivery reliability and customer service. Graphite electrodes, in particular, are subject to rigorous price competition. Competition with respect to new products is, and is expected to continue to be, based primarily on price, performance and cost effectiveness, customer service and product innovation. Competition could prevent implementation of price increases, including those described above, require price reductions or require increased spending on R&D, marketing and sales that could adversely affect us. In such a competitive market, changes in market conditions, including customer demand and technological development, as well as increased exports by Chinese EAF steel suppliers could adversely affect our competitiveness, sales and/or profitability.

We are dependent on the supply of petroleum needle coke. Our results of operations could deteriorate if disruptions in the supply of petroleum needle coke occur for an extended period.

Petroleum needle coke is our key raw material used in the production of graphite electrodes. At full operating levels, Seadrift provides a substantial portion of our petroleum needle coke requirements, with third party purchases making up the balance. A disruption in Seadrift’s production of petroleum needle coke could require us to obtain additional petroleum needle coke from third-party sources. There is no assurance that we would be able to obtain acceptable alternative sources on a cost- effective or timely basis, or at all. An extended interruption of suitable needle coke for our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

We rely primarily on one facility in Monterrey, Mexico for the manufacturing of connecting pins, a necessary component of our graphite electrodes. Our results of operations could deteriorate if this facility would become unable to provide us with the required volume of connecting pins.

We manufacture graphite connecting pins, which are used by customers to connect and fasten graphite electrodes together in a column for use in an EAF. For the past several years, all of our connecting pin production was performed at our Monterrey, Mexico facility. While we have added capability at our Pamplona, Spain facility, we primarily rely on one production location for this critical component. If our Monterrey, Mexico facility were to become unable to continue to provide us with connecting pins in required volumes, at suitable quality levels, or in a cost-effective manner, we would be required to shift production to our Pamplona, Spain facility or identify and obtain additional replacement manufacturing sources. There is no assurance that we would be able to obtain acceptable alternative sources on a cost-effective or timely basis, or at all. An extended interruption in the supply of connecting pins would result in the loss of sales, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

We are dependent on supplies of raw materials (in addition to petroleum needle coke). Our results of operations could deteriorate if those supplies increase in cost or are substantially disrupted for an extended period.

We purchase raw materials from a variety of sources. In many cases, we purchase them under short‑term contracts or on the spot market, in each case at fluctuating prices. The availability and price of raw materials may be subject to curtailment or change due to:

• limitations, which may be imposed under new legislation or regulation;
• suppliers’ allocations to meet demand from other purchasers during periods of shortage;
• interruptions or terminations in production by suppliers; and
• market and other events and conditions.

Petroleum and coal products, including decant oil and coal tar pitch, which are our principal raw materials other than petroleum needle coke, and energy, have been subject to significant price fluctuations. For example, Seadrift may not always be able to obtain an adequate quantity of suitable low‑sulfur decant oil for the manufacture of petroleum needle coke, and capital may not be available to install equipment to allow use of higher sulfur decant oil (which is more readily available in the United States) if supplies of low‑sulfur decant oil become more limited in the future. Further, low-sulfur emissions regulations adopted in 2020 by the International Maritime Organization have at times negatively affected pricing for low-sulfur decant oil and they may again in the future cause similar adverse impacts.

We have in the past entered into, and may continue in the future to enter into, derivative contracts and short‑duration fixed-rate purchase contracts to effectively fix a portion of our exposure to certain products. These hedging strategies may not be available or successful in eliminating our exposure. A substantial increase in raw material prices that cannot be mitigated or passed on to customers or a continued interruption in supply, particularly in the supply of decant oil, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. These hedges may be insufficient or ineffective in protecting against the impact of these fluctuations.

Our business and our customers are subject to market changes in the cost of electricity and natural gas that could adversely affect our business.

We are in an energy intensive industry that requires both natural gas and electricity in our manufacturing process. We primarily rely on third parties for the supply of our energy resources consumed in the manufacture of our products. The prices for third-party electricity and natural gas are subject to volatile market conditions, particularly in Europe. These market conditions often are affected by factors beyond our control and we may be unable to raise the price of our products to mitigate the effects of increased energy costs in our manufacturing processes. In addition, our customers are subject to these same market conditions.

Failure to retain our existing senior management team or the inability to attract and retain qualified personnel could hurt our business and inhibit our ability to operate and grow successfully.

Our success will continue to depend to a significant extent on the strength of our executive management team and the ability to recruit, hire and retain other key management and plant operating personnel, including factory and production workers and other staff to support our growth and operational initiatives and replace those who retire or resign. Failure to retain our leadership team and workforce and to attract and retain other important management and technical personnel could place a constraint on our global growth and operational initiatives, possibly resulting in inefficient and ineffective management and operations, which would likely harm our revenues, operations and product development efforts and eventually result in a decrease in profitability.

Our operations are subject to hazards which could result in significant liability to us.

Our operations are subject to hazards associated with manufacturing and the related use, storage, transportation and disposal of raw materials, products and wastes. These hazards include explosions, fires, severe weather (including but not limited to hurricanes or other adverse weather that may be increasing as a result of climate change) and natural disasters, industrial accidents, mechanical failures, discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous substances or gases, transportation interruptions, human error and terrorist activities. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment as well as environmental damage, and may result in suspension of operations and the imposition of civil and criminal liabilities, including penalties and damage awards. While we believe our insurance policies are in accordance with customary industry practices, such insurance may not cover all risks associated with the hazards of our business and is subject to limitations, including deductibles and maximum liabilities covered. We may incur losses beyond the limits, or outside the coverage, of our insurance policies. In the future, we may not be able to obtain coverage at current levels, and our premiums may increase significantly on coverage that we maintain. Costs associated with unanticipated events in excess of our insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our business, competitive or financial position or our ongoing results of operations.

We are subject to a variety of legal, economic, social and political risks associated with our substantial operations in multiple countries, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial and business operations.

A substantial majority of our net sales are derived from sales outside the United States, and a majority of our operations and our property, plant and equipment and other long‑lived assets are located outside the United States. As a result, we are subject to risks associated with operating in multiple countries, including:

• currency fluctuations and devaluations in currency exchange rates, including impacts of transactions in various currencies, translation of various currencies into dollars for U.S. reporting and financial covenant compliance purposes, and impacts on results of operations due to the fact that the costs of our non‑U.S. operations are primarily incurred in local currencies while their products are primarily sold in dollars and euros;
• imposition of or increase in customs duties and other tariffs or the loss of the protection thereof;
• imposition of or increases in currency exchange controls, including imposition of or increases in limitations on conversion of various currencies into dollars, euros, or other currencies, making of intercompany loans by subsidiaries or remittance of dividends, interest or principal payments or other payments by subsidiaries;
• imposition of or increases in revenue, income or earnings taxes and withholdings and other taxes on remittances and other payments by subsidiaries;
• inflation, deflation and stagflation in any country in which we have a manufacturing facility;
• imposition of or increases in investment or trade restrictions by the United States or other jurisdictions or trade sanctions adopted by the United States;
• compliance with laws on anti-corruption, export controls, customs, sanctions, environmental and other laws governing our operations, including in challenging jurisdictions;
• inability to determine or satisfy legal requirements, effectively enforce contract or legal rights, including our rights under our LTAs and intellectual property rights, and obtain complete financial or other information under local legal, judicial, regulatory, disclosure and other systems; and
• nationalization or expropriation of assets, and other risks that could result from a change in government or government policy, or from other political, social or economic instability.

Any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, and we may not be able to mitigate these effects.

Our results of operations could deteriorate if our manufacturing operations were substantially disrupted for an extended period for any reason, including equipment failure, legal proceedings, climate change, natural disasters, public health crises, political crises or other catastrophic events.

Our manufacturing operations are subject to disruption due to equipment failure, extreme weather conditions, floods, hurricanes and tropical storms and similar events, major industrial accidents, including fires or explosions, cybersecurity incidents, strikes and lockouts, adoption of new laws or regulations, changes in interpretations of existing laws or regulations or changes in governmental enforcement policies, civil disruption, riots, terrorist attacks, war, public health crises and other events. These events may also impact the operations of one or more of our suppliers. For example, the potential physical impacts of climate change on our operations are uncertain and will likely be particular to the geographic circumstances. These physical impacts may include changes in rainfall and storm patterns, shortages of water or other natural resources, changing sea levels, changes in the frequency of natural or human induced disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, droughts, tornadoes and other extreme weather events or conditions, and changing global average temperatures. For instance, our Seadrift facility in Texas and our Calais facility in France are located in geographic areas less than 50 feet above sea level. As a result, any future rising sea levels could have an adverse impact on their operations and on their suppliers. In the event manufacturing operations are substantially disrupted at one of our primary operating facilities, such as the September 2022 temporary suspension of our operations located in Monterrey, Mexico, we may not have the ability to increase production at our remaining operating facilities in order to compensate without considerable time and expense. To the extent any of these events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

Plant operational improvements may be delayed or may not achieve the expected benefits.

Our ability to complete future operational improvements may be delayed, interrupted or otherwise limited by the need to obtain environmental and other regulatory approvals, unexpected cost increases, financial constraints, availability of labor and materials, unforeseen hazards such as weather conditions, and other risks customarily associated with construction projects. Moreover, the costs of these activities could have a negative impact on our results of operations. In addition, these operational improvements may not achieve the expected benefits as a result of changes in market conditions, raw material shortages or other unforeseen contingencies.

We depend on third parties for certain construction, maintenance, engineering, transportation, warehousing and logistics services.

We contract with third parties for certain services relating to the design, construction and maintenance of various components of our production facilities and other systems. If these third parties fail to comply with their obligations, the facilities may not operate as intended, which may result in delays in the production of our products and materially adversely affect our ability to meet our production targets and satisfy customer requirements or we may be required to recognize impairment charges. In addition, production delays could cause us to miss deliveries and breach our contracts, which could damage our relationships with our customers and subject us to claims for damages under our contracts. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We also rely primarily on third parties for the transportation of the products we manufacture. In particular, a significant portion of the goods we manufacture are transported to different countries, which requires sophisticated warehousing, logistics and other resources. If any of the third parties that we use to transport products are unable to deliver the goods we manufacture in a timely manner, we may be unable to sell these products at full value or at all, which could cause us to miss deliveries and breach our contracts, which could damage our relationships with our customers and subject us to claims for damages under our contracts. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

We may be subject to information technology systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, network disruptions and breaches of data security, which could compromise our information and expose us to liability.

Our information technology systems are an important element for effectively operating our business. Information technology systems or processes, and the information technology systems or processes of our customers, our third-party business partners, our vendors or other parties that have been entrusted with our information, including risks associated with any failure to maintain or upgrade our systems, network disruptions and breaches of data security could disrupt our operations by impeding our processing of transactions, our ability to protect customer or company information or our financial reporting, leading to increased costs. It is possible that future technological developments could adversely affect the functionality of our computer systems and require further action and substantial funds to prevent or repair computer malfunctions. Our computer systems, including our back‑up systems, could be damaged or interrupted by power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, cybercrimes, internal or external security breaches, events such as fires, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, errors by our employees, or other cybersecurity incidents. Cybersecurity incidents and similar attacks vary in their form and can include the deployment of harmful malware or ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, and other attacks, which may affect business continuity and threaten the availability, confidentiality and integrity of our systems and information. Cybersecurity incidents can also include employee or personnel failures, fraud, phishing or other social engineering attempts or other methods to cause confidential information, payments, account access or access credentials, or other data to be transmitted to an unintended recipient. Cybersecurity threat actors also may attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in software that is commonly used by companies in cloud-based services and bundled software. Although we have taken steps to address these concerns by implementing network security, back‑up systems and internal control measures, these steps may be insufficient or ineffective. Security and/or privacy breaches, cybersecurity incidents, acts of vandalism or terror, misplaced, corrupted, altered or lost data, programming, and/or human error or other similar events with respect to our information technology systems or processes, or the information technology systems or processes of third-parties that have been entrusted with our information, could have a material adverse effect on our business strategy, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, including major disruptions to business operations, loss of intellectual property, release of confidential information, alteration or corruption of data or systems, costs related to remediation or the payment of ransom, litigation, administrative, and civil or criminal investigations or actions, regulatory intervention and sanctions or fines, investigation and remediation costs and possible prolonged negative publicity.

If we are unable to successfully negotiate with the representatives of our employees, including labor unions, we may experience strikes and work stoppages.

We are party to collective bargaining agreements and similar agreements with our employees. As of December 31, 2024, 647 employees, or approximately 60% of our worldwide employees, were covered by collective bargaining or similar agreements. Although we believe that, in general, our relationships with our employees are good, we cannot predict the outcome of current and future negotiations and consultations with employee representatives, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We may not succeed in renewing or extending these agreements on terms satisfactory to us. Although we have not had any material work stoppages or strikes initiated by our employees during the past decade, they may occur in the future during renewal or extension negotiations or otherwise. A material work stoppage, strike or other union dispute could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our ability to grow and compete effectively depends on protecting our intellectual property. Failure to protect our intellectual property could adversely affect our business.

We believe that our intellectual property, consisting primarily of patents and proprietary know‑how and information, is important to our growth. Our intellectual property portfolio is extensive, with approximately 100 U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications, which we believe is more than any of our major competitors in the businesses in which we operate. Failure to protect our intellectual property may result in the loss of the exclusive right to use our technologies. We rely on patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws and confidentiality and restricted-use agreements to protect our intellectual property. However, some of our intellectual property is not covered by any patent or patent application or any such agreement. Intellectual property protection does not protect against technological obsolescence due to developments by others or changes in customer needs.

Patents are subject to complex factual and legal considerations. Accordingly, the validity, scope and enforceability of any particular patent can be uncertain. Therefore, we cannot assure you that:

• any of the U.S. or non‑U.S. patents now or hereafter owned by us, or that third parties have licensed to us or may in the future license to us, will not be circumvented, challenged or invalidated;
• any of the U.S. or non‑U.S. patents that third parties have non‑exclusively licensed to us, or may non‑exclusively license to us in the future, will not be licensed to others; or
• any of the patents for which we have applied or may in the future apply will be issued at all or with the breadth of claim coverage we seek.

Moreover, patents, even if valid, only provide protection for a specified limited duration. In addition, effective patent, trademark and trade secret protection may be limited or unavailable or we may not apply for it in the United States or in any of the other countries in which we operate.

The protection of our intellectual property rights may be achieved, in part, by prosecuting claims against others who we believe have misappropriated our technology or have infringed upon our intellectual property rights, as well as by defending against misappropriation or infringement claims brought by others against us. Our involvement in litigation to protect or defend our rights in these areas could result in a significant expense to us, adversely affect the development of sales of the related products, and divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel, regardless of the outcome of such litigation.

We cannot assure you that agreements designed to protect our proprietary know‑how and information will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any such breach, or that our strategic alliance suppliers and customers, consultants, employees or others will not assert rights against us with respect to intellectual property arising out of our relationships with them.

Third parties may claim that our products or processes infringe their intellectual property rights, which may cause us to pay unexpected litigation costs or damages or prevent us from selling our products or services.

From time to time, we may become subject to legal proceedings, including allegations and claims of alleged infringement or misappropriation by us of the patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties. We cannot assure you that the use of our patented technology or proprietary know‑how or information does not infringe the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, attempts to enforce our own intellectual property claims may subject us to counterclaims that our intellectual property rights are invalid, unenforceable or are licensed to the party against whom we are asserting the claim or that we are infringing that party’s alleged intellectual property rights. We may also be obligated to indemnify affiliates or other partners who are accused of violating third parties’ intellectual property rights by virtue of those affiliates or partners’ agreements with us, and this could increase our costs in defending such claims and our damages.

Legal proceedings involving intellectual property rights, regardless of merit, are highly uncertain and can involve complex legal and scientific analyses, can be time consuming, expensive to litigate or settle and can significantly divert resources, even if resolved in our favor. Our failure to prevail in such matters could result in loss of intellectual property rights or judgments awarding substantial damages and injunctive or other equitable relief against us. If we were to be held liable or discover or be notified that our products or processes potentially infringe or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of others, we may face a loss of reputation and may not be able to exploit some or all of our intellectual property rights or technology. If necessary, we may seek licenses to intellectual property of others. However, we may not be able to obtain the necessary licenses on terms acceptable to us or at all. Our failure to obtain a license from a third-party for that intellectual property necessary for the production or sale of any of our products could cause us to incur substantial liabilities and/or suspend the production or shipment of products or the use of processes requiring the use of that intellectual property. We may be required to substantially re‑engineer our products or processes to avoid infringement.

Any of the foregoing may require considerable effort and expense, result in substantial increases in operating costs, delay or inhibit sales or preclude us from effectively competing in the marketplace, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.

Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by increased costs.

Our business may be negatively impacted by increased costs for manufacturing inputs, including needle coke, energy, and freight. We may not be able to offset or pass on these costs, which could lead to further adverse impacts on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We currently benefit from U.S. and EU anti-dumping duties and tariffs against certain Chinese and Indian imports that if reduced or not extended could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flow, liquidity and financial condition.

These anti-dumping duties and tariffs are generally subject to periodic reviews and challenges, which can result in their revocation or reduction. There can be no assurance that these anti-dumping duties and tariffs will be continued in the future or that such anti-dumping duties and tariffs will adequately combat unfairly traded imports. If these anti-dumping duties and tariffs were to be revoked or reduced in the future, our business, financial condition and results would be adversely impacted.

Implementation of tariffs and changes to or uncertainties related to tariffs and trade agreements could adversely affect our business.

The U.S. government has imposed tariffs on certain foreign goods from a variety of countries and regions, most notably China, that it perceives as engaging in unfair trade practices, and previously raised the possibility of imposing significant, additional tariff increases or expanding the tariffs to capture other types of goods from other countries. In response, many of these foreign governments have imposed retaliatory tariffs on goods that their countries import from the U.S. Uncertainties with respect to tariffs, trade agreements or any potential trade wars could negatively affect the global economy and could affect demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Changes in tariffs and trade barriers could also result in adverse changes in the cost and availability of our raw materials, and our ability to manufacture globally to support global sales which could lead to increased costs that we may not be able to effectively pass on to customers, each of which could materially adversely affect our operating margins, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks related to our indebtedness

Our indebtedness could limit our financial and operating activities and adversely affect our ability to incur additional debt to fund future needs and our ability to fulfill our obligations under our existing and future indebtedness.

Our credit agreement (as amended, the “2018 Credit Agreement”) currently provides for a $225 million senior secured revolving credit facility after giving effect to the December 2024 amendment (the “Fourth Amendment”) that decreased the revolving commitments under the 2018 Credit Agreement by $105 million from $330 million (the “2018 Revolving Credit Facility”). As any borrowings under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility remain subject to compliance with the financial covenant in our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, our operating performance resulted in a reduction of the availability under our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $1.1 billion of secured indebtedness outstanding including borrowings under our new 4.625% notes due 2029 (the “New 4.625% Notes”) and our new 9.875% notes due 2029 (the “New 9.875% Notes”, together with the New 4.625% Notes, the “New Notes”). As of December 31, 2024, we had $108.0 million available for borrowing under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility (taking into account approximately $7.4 million of outstanding letters of credit issued thereunder).

Our indebtedness could:

• require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow to the payment of principal and interest, thereby reducing the funds available for operations and future business opportunities;
• make it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations;
• limit our ability to borrow additional money if needed for other purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes, on satisfactory terms or at all;
• limit our ability to adjust to changing economic, business and competitive conditions;
• place us at a competitive disadvantage with competitors who may have less indebtedness or greater access to financing;
• require us to reduce or delay capital expenditures or sell assets or operations to meet our scheduled debt service obligations;
• make us more vulnerable to a downturn in our operating performance or a decline in general economic conditions; and
• make us more susceptible to changes in credit ratings, which could impact our ability to obtain financing in the future and increase the cost of such financing.

Compliance with our debt obligations under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, the New Notes and the Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility (as defined below), and any future indebtedness could materially limit our financial or operating activities, or hinder our ability to adapt to changing industry conditions, which could result in our losing market share, a decline in our revenue or a negative impact on our operating results.

The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, the Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility and the indentures governing the New Notes include covenants that could restrict or limit our financial and business operations.

The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, the Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility and the indentures governing the New Notes contain a number of restrictive covenants that, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, restrict or limit our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to, among other things:

• incur, repay or refinance indebtedness;
• create liens on or sell our assets;
• engage in certain fundamental corporate changes or changes to our business activities;
• make investments or engage in mergers or acquisitions;
• pay dividends or repurchase stock;
• engage in certain affiliate transactions;
• enter into agreements or otherwise restrict our subsidiaries from making distributions or paying dividends to the borrowers under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility or to us or certain of our subsidiaries, as applicable; and
• repay intercompany indebtedness or make intercompany distributions or pay intercompany dividends.

The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility also contains certain affirmative covenants and contains a financial covenant that requires us to maintain a senior secured first lien net leverage ratio not greater than 4.00:1.00, tested quarterly, to the extent outstanding revolving loans and letters of credit (subject to certain exclusions) exceed 51.3% of the amount of commitments then-existing under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility.

These covenants and restrictions could affect our ability to operate our business and may limit our ability to react to market conditions or take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise. Additionally, our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond our control, including general economic and credit conditions and industry downturns.

If we fail to comply with the covenants in the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, the Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility and the indentures governing the New 4.625% Notes and the New 9.875% Notes, and are unable to obtain a waiver or amendment, an event of default would result, and the lenders and noteholders could, among other things, declare outstanding amounts due and payable or, with respect to the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility and the Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility (with respect to the Delayed Draw Commitments thereunder), refuse to lend additional amounts to us or require deposit of cash collateral in respect of outstanding letters of credit. If we were unable to repay or pay the amounts due, the lenders under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, the Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility and the noteholders could, among other things, proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure the indebtedness, which includes substantially all of our and our U.S. subsidiaries’ assets and certain assets of certain of our non-U.S. subsidiaries.

Risks related to tax matters

We are required to make payments under a Tax Receivable Agreement for certain tax benefits we may claim in the future, and the amounts we may pay could be significant.

In connection with the completion of our initial public offering (“IPO”), we entered into a tax receivable agreement (as amended and restated, the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) that provides Brookfield Corporation and its affiliates (together, “Brookfield”) the right to receive future payments from us of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal income tax and Swiss tax that we and our subsidiaries realize as a result of the utilization of certain tax assets attributable to periods prior to our IPO, including certain federal net operating losses (“NOLs”), previously taxed income under Section 959 of the Code, foreign tax credits, and certain NOLs in GrafTech Switzerland S.A. (collectively, the “Pre‑IPO Tax Assets”). In addition, we pay interest on the payments we make to Brookfield with respect to the amount of this cash savings from the due date (without extensions) of our tax return where we realize this savings to the payment date at a rate equal to the forward looking term rate based on the secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”) administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or a successor administrator of the SOFR) for a one-month period plus 1.10%. The term of the Tax Receivable Agreement commenced on April 23, 2018 and will continue until there is no potential for any future tax benefit payments.

We have made payments of approximately $63.3 million related to the Tax Receivable Agreement. We expect that, based on current tax laws, future payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement relating to the Pre-IPO Tax Assets will be approximately $6.0 million in the aggregate. The maximum amount over the term of the agreement is approximately $70.0 million.

Risks related to our legal and regulatory environment

Stringent health, safety and environmental laws and regulations applicable to our manufacturing operations and facilities could result in substantial costs related to compliance, sanctions or material liabilities and may affect the availability of raw materials.

We are subject to stringent environmental, health and safety laws and regulations relating to our current and former properties (including former onsite landfills over which we have retained ownership), other properties that neighbor ours or to which we sent wastes for treatment or disposal, as well as our current raw materials, products, and operations. Some of our products (including our raw materials) are subject to extensive environmental and industrial hygiene regulations governing the registration and safety analysis of their component substances. Coal tar pitch, which is classified as a substance of very high concern under the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Regulation (“REACH”) regulations, is used in certain of our processes but in a manner that we believe does not currently require us to obtain a specific authorization under the REACH guidelines. Violations of these laws and regulations, or of the terms and conditions of permits required for our operations, can result in damage claims, reputational harm, the imposition of substantial fines and sanctions and require the installation of costly pollution control or safety equipment or costly changes in operations to limit pollution or decrease the likelihood of injuries. In addition, we are currently conducting remediation and/or monitoring at certain current and former properties, including at our Monterrey, Mexico facility, and may become subject to material liabilities in the future for the investigation and cleanup of contaminated properties, including with respect to emerging contaminants or for properties on which we have ceased operations. We have been in the past, and could be in the future, subject to claims alleging personal injury, death or property damage resulting from exposure to hazardous substances, accidents or otherwise for conditions creating an unsafe workplace. Further, noncompliance or alleged noncompliance with or stricter enforcement of, or changes in interpretations of, existing laws and regulations, adoption of more stringent new laws and regulations, discovery of previously unknown contamination or imposition of new or increased requirements could require us to incur costs or become the basis of new or increased liabilities or reputational harm that have a material adverse impact on our operations, costs or results of operations. It is also possible that the impact of safety and environmental regulations on our suppliers could affect the availability and cost of our raw materials.

For example, legislators, regulators and others, as well as many companies, are considering ways to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) due to scientific, political and public concern that GHG emissions are altering the atmosphere in ways that are affecting, and are expected to continue to affect, the global climate. The EU has established GHG regulations and is revising its emission trading system for the period after 2020 in a manner that may require us to incur additional costs. The United States has required annual reporting of GHG emissions from certain large sources beginning in 2011 and various and regional state efforts to reduce GHG emissions have also been implemented. Further measures, in the United States, EU and many other countries, may be enacted in the future. In particular, in December 2015, more than 190 countries participating in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reached an international agreement related to curbing GHG emissions (the “Paris Agreement”). Further GHG regulations under the Paris Agreement or otherwise may take the form of a national or international cap‑and‑trade emissions permit system, a carbon tax, emissions controls, reporting requirements, or other regulatory initiatives. For more information, see the section entitled “Business.”

The further regulation of GHG emissions or other environmental regulations in countries in which we operate or market our products could impose additional costs, both direct and indirect, on our business, and on the businesses of our customers and suppliers, such as increased energy and insurance rates, higher taxes, new environmental compliance program expenses, including capital improvements, environmental monitoring and the purchase of emission credits, and other administrative costs necessary to comply with current and potential future requirements or limitations that may be imposed, as well as other unforeseen or unknown costs. To the extent that similar requirements and limitations are not imposed globally, this regulation may impact our ability to compete with companies located in countries that do not have these requirements or limitations. We may also experience a change in competitive position relative to industry peers, changes in prices received for products sold and changes to profit or loss arising from increased or decreased demand for our products. The impact of any future GHG regulatory requirements on our global business will be dependent upon the design of the regulatory schemes that are ultimately adopted and, as a result, we are unable to predict their significance to our operations at this time.

Global data and privacy protection laws applicable to us require substantial costs related to compliance, and any failure to comply could result in significant liability to us, including fines and penalties.

We collect data, including personally identifiable information of our employees, in the course of our business activities and transfer such data between our affiliated entities, to and from our business partners and to third‑party service providers, which may be subject to global data privacy laws and cross‑border transfer restrictions. While we take steps to comply with these legal requirements, any changes to such laws may impact our ability to effectively transfer data across borders in support of our business operations and any breach of such laws may lead to administrative, civil or criminal liability, as well as reputational harm to the Company and its employees. For example, the GDPR introduced a number of obligations for subject companies, including obligations relating to data transfers and the security of personal data they process. We take steps to protect the security and integrity of the information we collect, but there is no guarantee that the steps we have taken will prevent inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure of such information, or prevent third parties from gaining unauthorized access to this information despite our efforts. Any such incident could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personally identifiable information (including the GDPR) and damage to our reputation.

The cost of ongoing compliance with global data protection and privacy laws and the potential fines and penalties levied in the event of a breach of such laws may have an adverse effect on our business and operations. For example, the GDPR currently provides that supervisory authorities in the EU may impose administrative fines for non‑compliance of up to €20.0 million or 4% of the subject company’s annual, group‑wide turnover (whichever is higher) and individuals who have suffered damage as a result of a subject company’s non‑compliance with the GDPR also have the right to seek compensation from such company. We will need to continue dedicating financial resources and management time to compliance efforts with respect to global data protection and privacy laws, including the GDPR.

Risks related to our common stock

Certain provisions, including in our Amended Certificate of Incorporation and our Amended By-Laws, could hinder, delay or prevent a change in control, which could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

Our Amended Certificate of Incorporation and Amended By-Laws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire us without the consent of our Board of Directors, including:

• provisions in our Amended Certificate of Incorporation and Amended By-Laws that prevent stockholders from calling special meetings of our stockholders, except where the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) confers the right to fix the date of such meetings upon stockholders;
• advance notice requirements by stockholders with respect to director nominations and actions to be taken at annual meetings;
• provisions in our Amended Certificate of Incorporation provide for a classified Board of Directors such that only one of three classes of directors is elected each year, which prevents our stockholders from replacing the majority our directors at once;
• no provision in our Amended Certificate of Incorporation or Amended By-Laws provides for cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect all the directors standing for election;
• under our Amended Certificate of Incorporation, our Board of Directors have authority to cause the issuance of preferred stock from time to time in one or more series and to establish the terms, preferences and rights of any such series of preferred stock, all without approval of our stockholders; and
• nothing in our Amended Certificate of Incorporation precludes future issuances without stockholder approval of the authorized but unissued shares of our common stock.

These provisions may make it difficult and expensive for a third-party to pursue a tender offer, change in control or takeover attempt that is opposed by our Board of Directors. Stockholders who might desire to participate in these types of transactions may not have an opportunity to do so, even if the transaction is favorable to such stockholders. These anti-takeover provisions could substantially impede the ability of stockholders to benefit from a change in control or to change our management and Board of Directors and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and your ability to realize any potential change of control premium.

Our Amended Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.

Our Amended Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for:

• any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf;
• any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty;
• any action asserting a claim against us arising under the DGCL, our Amended Certificate of Incorporation or our Amended By-Laws; and
• any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal-affairs doctrine.

This exclusive forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. If a court were to find the exclusive forum provision in our Amended Certificate of Incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business.

We cannot guarantee that our stock repurchase program will be fully consummated or that it will enhance long-term stockholder value. Stock repurchases could also increase the volatility of the trading price of our stock and will diminish our cash reserves.

Although our Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program that does not have an expiration date, the program does not obligate us to acquire any particular amount of shares of common stock, and the stock repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at our discretion. We did not repurchase any shares of common stock under this program in 2024. We cannot guarantee that the program will be fully consummated or that it will enhance long-term stockholder value. The program could affect the trading price of our stock, and increase volatility, and any announcement of a termination of this program may result in a decrease in the trading price of our common stock. In addition, our use of this program will diminish our cash.

We may not be able to remain in compliance with the continued listing requirements of the NYSE, and if the NYSE delists our common stock, it could have an adverse impact on the trading, liquidity and market price of our common stock.

The Company’s common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “EAF”. The price of our common stock may be adversely affected due to, among other things, our financial results and market conditions. There can be no assurance that we will continue to remain in compliance with the NYSE’s minimum share price standard or that we will remain in compliance with any of the other applicable continued listing standards of the NYSE.

Any failure to remain in compliance with the NYSE’s continued listing standards, and any subsequent failure to timely resume compliance with the NYSE’s continued listing standards within the applicable cure period, could have adverse consequences including, among others, reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire our common stock, reducing the liquidity and market price of our common stock, adverse publicity and a reduced interest in us from investors, analysts and other market participants. In addition, a suspension or delisting could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the public markets and our ability to attract and retain employees by means of equity compensation.

Risk Management and Strategy

We have an overarching cybersecurity program for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats that includes documented policies and procedures and incorporates a layered cybersecurity defense. We utilize a variety of technologies that are designed to target detection of malicious attempts to infiltrate our information systems. We also maintain an endpoint threat detection and response tool which uses artificial intelligence to alert our managed security service provider. On a regular basis, we hire a third-party cybersecurity service provider that performs a penetration test on our information systems and the Company seeks to address vulnerabilities that are found. We also utilize a third-party cybersecurity training company to educate our employees about cybersecurity threats. On a regular basis, we send out test phishing emails with a follow up email explaining to end users the “red flags” in these emails. Where appropriate, we utilize dual-factor authentication on our information systems. On an annual basis, we receive system and organization control reports from many of our key external IT vendors as these will reveal any sort of potential security issues these companies have had in the past year.

We have experienced cybersecurity threats to our information technology infrastructure and have experienced non-material cybersecurity incidents, attempts to breach our systems, fraudulent activity and other similar incidents. As of the filing of this Annual Report, we are not aware of any risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company, including our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. However, future security and/or privacy breaches, cybersecurity incidents, acts of vandalism or terror, misplaced, corrupted, altered or lost data, programming, and/or human error or other similar events with respect to our information technology systems or processes or the information technology systems or, processes of third-parties that have been entrusted with our information, could have a material adverse effect on our business strategy, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Risks related to cybersecurity events are detailed in the section of this Annual Report titled “Risk Factors—Risks related to our business and industry—We may be subject to information technology systems failures, cybersecurity incidents, network disruptions and breaches of data security, which could compromise our information and expose us to liability.”

Governance

The Board oversees risks from cybersecurity threats through the same framework it uses to oversee the management of our risk exposure in general. Cybersecurity risks, including operations disruptions, outdated enterprise software and damage reputation, have been specifically incorporated into our enterprise risk management processes. These risks are scored based on impact, likelihood and established controls. Action plans are then established for each of the risks and are incorporated into objectives. Risks are then tracked and integrated into reporting and disclosure processes. Risks are reviewed at least bi-annually by a committee made up of representatives from finance, internal audit, treasury, operations, legal and others. Management at least annually provides to the Board updated information concerning cybersecurity threats, as well as management’s efforts to mitigate such threats. The Board then is responsible for overseeing that management responds appropriately. The Audit Committee, which is made up solely of independent directors, is responsible for overseeing Company policies and practices with respect to cybersecurity issues.

Our Vice President, Information Technology is responsible for managing and assessing material risks from cybersecurity threats and leads our information security program and team, which is comprised of several members devoted to infrastructure and information systems security and management. Our Vice President, Information Technology has over 20 years of industry experience, including over 15 years at our Company, serving in roles throughout his career such as engineer, infrastructure manager, Director of Information Technology Infrastructure, and Global Director of IT.

The Company uses the following principal physical properties in connection with the manufacturing, sales and services of graphite electrodes, pins and corporate administrative operations, all of which serve its only reportable segment, Industrial Materials. The total capacity utilization, reflecting production volume as a percentage of production capacity, of our graphite electrode manufacturing facilities in Calais, France, Monterrey, Mexico and Pamplona, Spain, was 55% and 44% for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Production capacity reflects expected maximum production volume during the period depending on product mix and expected maintenance outage. Actual production may vary. In the first quarter of 2024, we announced a set of initiatives designed to reduce our cost structure and optimize our manufacturing footprint. As part of these initiatives, we indefinitely suspended production activities at our St. Marys, Pennsylvania facility, with the exception of graphite electrode and pin machining. In addition, we indefinitely idled certain assets within our remaining graphite electrode manufacturing footprint. As a result, our graphite electrode production capacity has been reduced to approximately 178 thousand MT in 2024. Our properties located in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, Port Lavaca, Texas, Monterrey, Mexico and Pamplona, Spain are encumbered by our Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility, 2018 Credit Agreement, our New 4.625% Notes and our New 9.875% Notes.

We are involved in various investigations, lawsuits, claims, demands, labor disputes and other legal proceedings, including with respect to environmental and human exposure or other personal injury matters, arising out of or incidental to the conduct of our business. While it is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of each of these matters and proceedings, we do not believe that their ultimate disposition will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Additionally, we are involved in the following legal proceedings.

Monterrey, Mexico Suspension of Operations

Background

On September 15, 2022, inspectors from the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment of the State of Nuevo León, Mexico visited GrafTech Mexico S.A. De C.V.’s (“GrafTech Mexico”) graphite electrode manufacturing facility located in Monterrey, Mexico to inspect GrafTech Mexico’s facility and certain of the facility’s environmental and operating permits. At the conclusion of the inspection, the inspectors issued a Record of Inspection providing for the results of the inspection, their observations, and the imposition of a temporary suspension of GrafTech Mexico’s facilities within seven days. In parallel, the Director of Comprehensive Atmospheric Management of the Undersecretary of Climate Change and Air Quality of the Ministry of the Environment of the State of Nuevo León formally denied GrafTech Mexico’s previously requested modification to its operating license stating that such license was no longer valid. On September 22, 2022, GrafTech Mexico submitted observations and responses to the Record of Inspection, requested an extension of the shutdown of the facility until October 7, 2022, and requested a clarification of the scope of the shutdown. On September 23, 2022, inspectors from the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment visited GrafTech Mexico’s manufacturing facility to verify the information presented in GrafTech Mexico’s observations and responses submitted on September 22, 2022. On October 4, 2022, the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment granted an extension of the shutdown of the facility until October 7, 2022 and clarified the suspension permitting GrafTech Mexico to perform several activities, including extracting or withdrawing finished or unfinished product. On November 17, 2022, the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment lifted the suspension notice, subject to the completion of certain agreed-upon activities, including the submission of an environmental impact study with respect to the facility’s operations, allowing the Monterrey facility to resume operations. Notwithstanding the suspension notice having been conditionally lifted and the Monterrey facility having resumed operations, GrafTech Mexico believes it is prudent to continue to pursue the related legal proceeding set forth below.

Administrative Proceeding

On November 17, 2022, the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment issued a summons opening an administrative proceeding against GrafTech Mexico, citing the lack of an environmental impact authorization and environmental risk study with respect to the facility’s operations. The summons ordered GrafTech Mexico to submit an environmental impact authorization and risk study within 30 business days. GrafTech Mexico submitted its environmental impact authorization and risk study for the full site on November 25, 2022, and filed its response to the summons on December 2, 2022. On August 29, 2024, the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment initiated the summary argument period providing GrafTech Mexico the opportunity to draft final arguments. GrafTech Mexico was notified of such initiation on September 5, 2024. GrafTech Mexico submitted its final summary arguments on September 10, 2024. On October 3, 2024, the State Attorney’s Office for the Secretary of Environment imposed a fine in the amount of approximately $37,152, using an exchange rate of 1 Mexican peso equals 0.051 United States dollars, for failure to have an environmental impact authorization at the time of the inspection that gave rise to the administrative proceeding. On November 5, 2024, GrafTech Mexico paid the fine under protest stating that an environmental impact authorization was not required because GrafTech Mexico began operations in 1960, such requirement to obtain an environmental impact authorization was introduced in the regulations in 1989, and requiring GrafTech Mexico to obtain an environmental impact authorization for all of its facilities, including those that have been operating since 1960, would constitute a retroactive application of such legislation.

Brazil Clause IV

Pending litigation in Brazil has been brought by employees seeking to recover additional amounts and interest thereon under certain wage increase provisions applicable in 1989 and 1990 under collective bargaining agreements to which employers in the Bahia region of Brazil were a party (including our subsidiary in Brazil). Companies in Brazil have settled claims arising out of these provisions and, in May 2015, the litigation was remanded by the Brazilian Supreme Court in favor of the employees union. After denying an interim appeal by the Bahia region employers on June 26, 2019, the Brazilian Supreme Court finally ruled in favor of the employees union on September 26, 2019. The employers union has determined not to seek annulment of such decision. Separately, on October 1, 2015, a related action was filed by current and former employees against our subsidiary in Brazil to recover amounts under such provisions, plus interest thereon, which amounts together with interest could be material to us. If the Brazilian Supreme Court proceeding above had been determined in favor of the employers union, it would also have resolved this proceeding in our favor. In the first quarter of 2017, the state court initially ruled in favor of the employees. We appealed this state court ruling, and the appellate court issued a decision in our favor on May 19, 2020. The employees have further appealed and, on December 16, 2020, the court upheld the decision in favor of GrafTech Brazil. On February 22, 2021, the employees filed a further appeal and, on April 28, 2021, the court rejected the employees’ appeal in favor of GrafTech Brazil. The employees filed a further appeal and on September 12, 2022, we filed our response in opposition. We intend to vigorously defend our position. As of December 31, 2024, we are unable to assess the potential loss associated with these proceedings as the claims do not currently specify the number of employees seeking damages or the amount of damages being sought.

Mexico Value-Added Tax (“VAT”)

In July 2019, the Mexican Tax Authority (“MTA”) opened an audit of the VAT filings of GrafTech Comercial de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. (“GrafTech Commercial Mexico”) for the period of January 1 to April 30, 2019. In September 2021, the MTA issued a tax assessment, claiming improper use of a certain VAT exemption rule for purchases from a foreign affiliate. As of December 31, 2024, the tax assessment for the four month period under audit amounted to approximately $26.1 million, including penalties, inflation and interest. Interest will continue to accrue up to five years from the date the corresponding VAT returns were filed and inflation will continue to accrue with the passage of time. GrafTech Commercial Mexico filed an administrative appeal against the tax assessment with the MTA’s appeals office. In November 2022, the MTA’s appeals office concluded its review and confirmed the tax assessment. GrafTech Commercial Mexico believes that the purchases from a foreign affiliate are exempt from VAT back-up withholding and in December 2022, GrafTech Commercial Mexico filed a Claim for Nullity with the Chamber Specialized in exclusive resolution of substance of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice. On February 17, 2023, the MTA filed the response to the nullity petition. On May 31, 2023, the court held a hearing to determine the scope of the issues to be decided in the proceedings. At the court’s request, GrafTech Commercial Mexico submitted formal pleadings on August 1, 2023. On January 8, 2024, the court ruled in GrafTech

Commercial Mexico’s favor and annulled the tax assessment. On January 31, 2024, the MTA filed an appeal for review. On March 15, 2024, GrafTech Commercial Mexico filed the Tax Adhesive Appeal for Review before the Collegiate Court in Administrative Matters who has authority to hear the MTA’s appeal. The MTA’s appeal and the Adhesive appeal are still pending to be resolved.

In March 2022, the MTA opened another audit of the VAT filings of GrafTech Commercial Mexico for the period January 1 to December 31, 2018. In the proposed assessment received in January 2023, the MTA is alleging the same improper use of certain VAT exemption rules on purchases from a foreign affiliate and has provided notice of its intent to assess approximately $51.0 million, including penalties, inflation and interest. Interest would continue to accrue up to five years from the date the corresponding VAT returns were filed and inflation would continue to accrue with the passage of time. In Mexico, each tax assessment requires a separate claim. In the first quarter of 2023, GrafTech Commercial Mexico requested a conclusive agreement with the Mexican ombudsman (“PRODECON”) to reach a settlement with the MTA. The MTA responded to GrafTech Commercial Mexico’s request on May 30, 2023. On August 2, 2023, GrafTech Commercial Mexico filed a motion exhibiting additional information and reaffirming its position. On September 22, 2023, the MTA responded to GrafTech Commercial Mexico’s motion. On October 2, 2023, GrafTech Commercial Mexico filed a motion requesting a formal meeting with the MTA and PRODECON, which occurred on November 14, 2023. During the meeting, the parties agreed that GrafTech Commercial Mexico will provide additional documentation and information to be evaluated by the MTA, and, on November 29, 2023, GrafTech Commercial Mexico filed the information requested. On January 24, 2024, the MTA filed its response. On that same day, GrafTech Commercial Mexico submitted before PRODECON the favorable ruling it obtained on January 8, 2024 in connection with the 2019 proceeding for the MTA’s consideration. On February 1, 2024, the MTA confirmed its position, holding that GrafTech Commercial Mexico was required to withhold the VAT. On March 20, 2024, a meeting was held at PRODECON where the parties confirmed their final positions. No agreement between the parties was reached, the conclusive agreement procedure came to an end, and the tax audit process resumed. On July 10, 2024, the MTA concluded the tax audit and determined that there is no tax deficiency to be assessed for the period January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.

As evidenced by the favorable court decision issued on January 8, 2024 with respect to the 2019 proceeding and the MTA’s conclusion of the tax audit for the 2018 proceeding, GrafTech Commercial Mexico’s application of the VAT exemption rules is appropriate and, accordingly, GrafTech Commercial Mexico does not believe that it is probable that it will incur a loss related to this matter for the 2019 proceeding under the MTA’s audit. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position in the 2019 proceeding.

Stockholder Class Action

On January 25, 2024, a stockholder of the Company filed a class action complaint on behalf of a putative class consisting of purchasers of GrafTech common stock between February 8, 2019 and August 3, 2023 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The complaint, as amended, names the Company, certain past and present executive officers, and three entities associated with Brookfield as defendants. The complaint alleges that certain public filings and statements made by the Company contained material misrepresentations or omissions relating to the circumstances before and after the prior temporary suspension of the Company’s graphite electrode manufacturing facility located in Monterrey, Mexico, in September 2022. The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory damages, costs and expenses, and unspecified equitable or injunctive relief. On May 15, 2024, the Court appointed the University of Puerto Rico Retirement System as the lead plaintiff. On October 7, 2024, the plaintiff filed an amended complaint. On December 6, 2024, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. At this stage of the proceedings, it is too early to determine if the matter would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report. Discussion and analysis regarding our financial condition and results of operations for 2023 as compared to 2022 is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report for the year-ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2024. Information in this section is intended to assist the reader in obtaining an understanding of our Consolidated Financial Statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements from year-to-year, the primary factors that accounted for those changes, any known trends or uncertainties that we are aware of that may have a material effect on our future performance, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our Consolidated Financial Statements. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially from those forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Operational and Commercial Update

Sales volume for 2024 was approximately 103 thousand MT, consisting of LTA volume of 13 thousand MT and non-LTA volume of 90 thousand MT, representing an increase of 13% compared to 92 thousand MT in 2023, consisting of LTA volume of 29 thousand MT and non-LTA volume of 63 thousand MT.

In 2024, our weighted-average realized price from LTAs was approximately $8,100 per MT and our weighted-average realized price for non-LTA sales of graphite electrodes was approximately $4,200 per MT. Our weighted-average realized non-LTA price decreased 22% compared to 2023, with the decline reflecting the persistent competitive pressures in the regions in which we operate. In 2023, our weighted-average realized price from LTAs was approximately $8,800 per MT and our weighted-average realized price for non-LTA sales of graphite electrodes was approximately $5,400 per MT.

Production volume for 2024 was approximately 97 thousand MT, increasing 10% compared to 2023. We continue to proactively reduced our graphite electrode production volume to align with our evolving demand outlook and to manage our inventory levels to meet our requirements.

Capital Structure and Liquidity

As of December 31, 2024, we had liquidity of $464.2 million, consisting of $108.0 million of availability under our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, $100.0 million of availability under our Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility (with respect to the Delayed Draw Commitments thereunder) and cash and cash equivalents of $256.2 million. As of December 31, 2024, we had total debt of approximately $1.1 billion.

Outlook

In 2024, steel industry production remained constrained by global economic and geopolitical uncertainty. As we enter 2025, industry analyst projections indicate a modest recovery in global steel demand is expected for the year. However, significant geopolitical uncertainty remains, including the potential impact of policymaking on the interest rate environment, global trade and decarbonization policies. As we closely monitor all of these developments and assess their potential impact on the commercial environment for graphite electrodes, our current outlook is that demand for graphite electrodes in the near term will remain relatively flat in the key regions in which we operate.

For GrafTech, despite the industry-wide headwinds, we anticipate a low double-digit percentage point year-over-year increase in our sales volume for 2025 on a full-year basis as we continue to regain market share. This reflects our compelling customer value proposition and our ongoing focus on delivering on the needs of our customers. Of our anticipated 2025 sales volume, to date, we have over 60% committed in our order book following the successful completion of the customer negotiations that occur in the fourth quarter of each year.

As it relates to price, challenging pricing dynamics have persisted in most regions and the pricing environment remains unsustainably low. As a result, we are taking further actions to accelerate our path to normalized levels of profitability and support our ability to invest in our business. These include initiatives to optimize our order book and actively shift the geographic mix of our business to regions where there is an opportunity to capture higher average selling prices. In addition, we have informed our customers of our intention to increase prices by 15% on volume that is not yet committed for 2025.

As it relates to costs, we will continue to execute our initiatives to improve our cost structure. Reflecting these actions and the benefit of the anticipated increase in our sales and production volume levels, we expect a mid-single digit percentage point decline in our cash cost of goods sold per MT for 2025 compared to 2024 and is expected to continue to trend toward our long-term expectation of approximately $3,700 per MT.

In addition, we will continue to closely manage our working capital levels and capital expenditures. For 2025, we expect the net impact of working capital will be favorable to our full year cash flow performance, although to a lesser extent than in each of the previous two years which reflected our efforts to align inventory levels with our view on demand. We anticipate our full year 2025 capital expenditures will be approximately $40 million.

Longer term, we remain confident that the steel industry’s efforts to decarbonize will lead to increased adoption of the electric arc furnace method of steelmaking, driving long-term demand growth for graphite electrodes. We also anticipate the demand for petroleum needle coke, the key raw material we use to produce graphite electrodes, to accelerate driven by its utilization in producing synthetic graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries for the growing electric vehicle market. We believe that the near-term actions we are taking, supported by an industry-leading position and our sustainable competitive advantages, including our substantial vertical integration into petroleum needle coke via our Seadrift facility, will optimally position GrafTech to benefit from that long-term growth.

Key metrics used by management to measure performance

In addition to measures of financial performance presented in our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), we use certain other financial measures and operating metrics to analyze the performance of our Company. The “non‑GAAP” financial measures consist of EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net (loss) income and adjusted (loss) earnings per share, which help us evaluate growth trends, establish budgets, assess operational efficiencies and evaluate our overall financial performance. The key operating metrics consist of sales volume, production volume, production capacity and capacity utilization.

Key financial measures

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(1) Loss per share represents diluted loss per share. Adjusted loss per share represents adjusted diluted loss per share.

(2) Non-GAAP financial measure; see below for information and reconciliations to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Key operating measures

In addition to measures of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP, we use certain operating metrics to analyze the performance of our company. The key operating metrics consist of sales volume, production volume, production capacity and capacity utilization. These metrics align with management's assessment of our revenue performance and profit margin, and will help investors understand the factors that drive our profitability.

Sales volume reflects the total volume of graphite electrodes sold for which revenue has been recognized during the period. For a discussion of our revenue recognition policy, see “—Critical accounting policies—Revenue recognition” in this section. Sales volume helps investors understand the factors that drive our net sales.

Production volume reflects graphite electrodes produced during the period. Production capacity reflects expected maximum production volume during the period depending on product mix and expected maintenance outage. Actual production may vary. Capacity utilization reflects production volume as a percentage of production capacity. Production volume, production capacity and capacity utilization help us understand the efficiency of our production and evaluate cost of goods sold.

(in thousands, except percentages)

(1) Production volume reflects graphite electrodes we produced during the period.

(2) Production capacity reflects expected maximum production volume during the period depending on product mix and expected maintenance outage. Actual production may vary.

(3) Includes graphite electrode facilities in Calais, France; Monterrey, Mexico; and Pamplona, Spain. While maintaining the capability to produce up to 28,000 MT of graphite electrodes and pins on an annual basis at our St. Marys, Pennsylvania facility, most production activities at St. Marys have been suspended. The wind down of these production activities was completed during the second quarter of 2024. Remaining activities at St. Marys are limited to machining graphite electrodes and pins sourced from our other plants.

(4) Capacity utilization reflects production volume as a percentage of production capacity.

As of December 31, 2023, our stated production capacity was approximately 202 thousand MT through our primary manufacturing facilities in Calais, Pamplona and Monterrey. On February 14, 2024, the Company announced a cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan, in response to persistent softness in the commercial environment. This included an indefinite suspension of production activities at our St. Marys facility, with the exception of graphite electrode and pin machining. We also indefinitely idled certain assets within our remaining graphite electrode manufacturing footprint. As a result of these initiatives, our stated production capacity was reduced from approximately 202 thousand MT in 2023 to approximately 178 thousand MT in 2024.

Non-GAAP financial measures

In addition to providing results that are determined in accordance with GAAP, we have provided certain financial measures that are not in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net loss, adjusted loss per share, free cash flow, adjusted free cash flow and cash cost of goods sold per MT are non-GAAP financial measures.

We define EBITDA, a non‑GAAP financial measure, as net loss plus interest expense, minus interest income, plus income taxes and depreciation and amortization. We define adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, as EBITDA adjusted by any pension and other post-employment benefit (“OPEB”) expenses, rationalization and rationalization-related expenses, non‑cash gains or losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non‑operating assets and liabilities in our foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar, stock-based compensation expense, proxy contest expenses, Tax Receivable Agreement adjustments and goodwill impairment charges. Adjusted EBITDA is the primary metric used by our management and our Board of Directors to establish budgets and operational goals for managing our business and evaluating our performance.

We monitor adjusted EBITDA as a supplement to our GAAP measures, and believe it is useful to present to investors, because we believe that it facilitates evaluation of our period‑to‑period operating performance by eliminating items that are not operational in nature, allowing comparison of our recurring core business operating results over multiple periods unaffected by differences in capital structure, capital investment cycles and fixed asset base. In addition, we believe adjusted EBITDA and similar measures are widely used by investors, securities analysts, ratings agencies, and other parties in evaluating companies in our industry as a measure of financial performance and debt‑service capabilities.

Our use of adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures for capital equipment or other contractual commitments, including any capital expenditure requirements to augment or replace our capital assets;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our indebtedness;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect tax payments or the income tax benefit that may represent a reduction in cash available to us;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect expenses relating to our pension and OPEB plans;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect rationalization or rationalization-related expenses;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the non‑cash gains or losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non‑operating assets and liabilities in our foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect stock-based compensation expense;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect proxy contest expenses;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect Tax Receivable Agreement adjustments;
• adjusted EBITDA does not reflect goodwill impairment charges; and
• other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure.

We define adjusted net loss, a non‑GAAP financial measure, as net loss, excluding the items used to calculate adjusted EBITDA and further excluding debt modification costs, less the tax effect of those adjustments. We define adjusted loss per share, a non‑GAAP financial measure, as adjusted net loss divided by the weighted average diluted common shares outstanding during the period. We believe adjusted net loss and adjusted loss per share are useful to present to investors because we believe that they assist investors’ understanding of the underlying operational profitability of the Company.

We define free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. We define adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, as free cash flow adjusted by payments made or received from the settlement of interest rate swap contracts and payments made for debt modification costs. We use free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow as critical measures in the evaluation of liquidity in conjunction with related GAAP amounts. We also use these measures when considering available cash, including for decision-making purposes related to dividends, debt servicing and discretionary investments. Further, these measures help management, the Board of Directors, and investors evaluate the Company's ability to generate liquidity from operating activities.

We define cash cost of goods sold per MT, a non-GAAP financial measure, as cost of goods sold less depreciation and amortization less cost of goods sold associated with the portion of our sales that consists of deliveries of by-products of the manufacturing processes and less rationalization-related expenses, with this total divided by our sales volume measured in MT. We believe this is an important measure as it is used by our management and Board of Directors to evaluate our costs on a per MT basis.

In evaluating these non-GAAP financial measures, you should be aware that in the future, we may incur expenses similar to the adjustments in the reconciliations presented below. Our presentations of these non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as suggesting that our future results will be unaffected by these expenses or any unusual or non‑recurring items. When evaluating our performance, you should consider these non-GAAP financial measures alongside other measures of financial performance and liquidity, including our net loss, loss per share, cash flow from operating activities, cost of goods sold and other GAAP measures.

The following tables reconcile our non-GAAP key financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures:

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(1) Net periodic benefit cost for our pension and OPEB plans, including a mark-to-market adjustment, representing actuarial gains and losses that result from the remeasurement of plan assets and obligations due to changes in assumptions or experience. We recognize the actuarial gains and losses in connection with the annual remeasurement in earnings in the fourth quarter of each year.

(2) Severance and contract termination costs associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

(3) Other non-cash costs, primarily inventory and fixed asset write-offs, associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

(4) Non-cash (gains) losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non-operating assets and liabilities of our non-U.S. subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar.

(5) Non-cash expense for stock-based compensation awards.

(6) Expenses associated with our proxy contest.

(7) Non-cash expense adjustment for future payment to our sole pre-IPO stockholder for tax assets that have been utilized.

(8) Debt modification costs related to the December 2024 debt transactions, which are recognized in interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(9) Non-cash goodwill impairment charges.

(10) The tax impact on the non-GAAP adjustments is affected by their tax deductibility and the applicable jurisdictional tax rates.

(1) Net periodic benefit cost for our pension and OPEB plans, including a mark-to-market adjustment, representing actuarial gains and losses that result from the remeasurement of plan assets and obligations due to changes in assumptions or experience. We recognize the actuarial gains and losses in connection with the annual remeasurement in earnings in the fourth quarter of each year.

(2) Severance and contract termination costs associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

(3) Other non-cash costs, primarily inventory and fixed asset write-offs, associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

(4) Non-cash (gains) losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non-operating assets and liabilities of our non-U.S. subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar.

(5) Non-cash expense for stock-based compensation awards.

(6) Expenses associated with our proxy contest.

(7) Non-cash expense adjustment for future payment to our sole pre-IPO stockholder for tax assets that have been utilized.

(8) Debt modification costs related to the December 2024 debt transactions, which are recognized in interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(9) Non-cash goodwill impairment charges.

(10) The tax impact on the non-GAAP adjustments is affected by their tax deductibility and the applicable jurisdictional tax rates.

(Dollars in thousands)

(1) Net periodic benefit cost for our pension and OPEB plans, including a mark-to-market adjustment, representing actuarial gains and losses that result from the remeasurement of plan assets and obligations due to changes in assumptions or experience. We recognize the actuarial gains and losses in connection with the annual remeasurement in earnings in the fourth quarter of each year.

(2) Severance and contract termination costs associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

(3) Other non-cash costs, primarily inventory and fixed asset write-offs, associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

(4) Non-cash (gains) losses from foreign currency remeasurement of non-operating assets and liabilities of our non-U.S. subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar.

(5) Non-cash expense for stock-based compensation awards.

(6) Expenses associated with our proxy contest.

(7) Non-cash expense adjustment for future payment to our sole pre-IPO stockholder for tax assets that have been utilized.

(8) Non-cash goodwill impairment charges.

Reconciliation of Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Free Cash Flow

(Dollars in thousands)

(1) Cash payments of debt modification costs related to the December 2024 debt transactions, which are recognized in interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and recognized in net cash (used in) provided by operating activities on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

(2) Receipt of cash related to the monthly settlement of our interest rate swap contracts prior to their termination in the second quarter of 2023, as well as receipt of cash related to the termination of the interest rate swap contracts.

Reconciliation of Cost of Goods Sold to Cash Cost of Goods Sold per MT

(Dollars in thousands)

(1) Reflects the portion of depreciation and amortization that is recognized in cost of goods sold.

(2) Primarily reflects cost of goods sold associated with the portion of our sales that consists of deliveries of by-products of the manufacturing processes.

(3) Other non-cash costs, primarily inventory and fixed asset write-offs, associated with the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024.

Results of Operations

Results of operations for 2024 as compared to 2023

The tables presented in our period-over-period comparisons summarize our Consolidated Statements of Operations and illustrate key financial indicators used to assess the consolidated financial results. Throughout our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A"), insignificant changes may be deemed not meaningful and are generally excluded from the discussion.

(in thousands)

NM = Not Meaningful.

Net sales decreased $81.7 million, or 13%, compared to 2023. The decline primarily reflected a decrease in the weighted-average realized price for volume derived from non-LTAs and a shift in the mix of our business from volume derived from LTAs to volume derived from non-LTAs. These factors were partially offset by a 13% increase in total sales volume in 2024, compared to 2023.

Cost of goods sold decreased $38.1 million, or 7%, in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to decreased costs as a result of our cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024. In addition, we experienced a $40.3 million reduction of fixed manufacturing costs recorded in 2024, compared to 2023, that would have otherwise been inventoried. Also, the lower of cost or market (“LCM”) inventory valuation adjustments recorded in 2024 and 2023 generated a $19.7 million favorable impact to cost of goods sold in 2024. These decreases were partially offset by the impact of increased volume.

LCM inventory valuation adjustment represents a write-down of inventory recorded in 2024 and 2023. The net realizable value of certain of our inventories fell below their carrying amounts as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and as a result, we recorded LCM inventory valuation adjustments of $24.9 million and $12.4 million, respectively, in order to state our inventories at market.

Selling and administrative expenses decreased $27.5 million, or 37%, in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to the $9.2 million reimbursement of legal fees in connection with the favorable outcome of an arbitration (See Note 12, “Commitments and Contingencies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion), decreased employee-related expenses driven by our cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024, as well as decreased variable compensation expenses.

Rationalization expenses represent severance and contract termination costs related to the cost rationalization and footprint optimization plan announced in February 2024. See Note 17, “Rationalization Expenses” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Goodwill impairment charges includes non-recurring charges relating to goodwill. Refer to Note 6, “Other Intangible Assets and Goodwill,” to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion.

Other (income) expense, net was income of $1.6 million in 2024, compared to expense of $4.7 million in 2023. 2024 included $1.9 million of foreign currency remeasurement gains, while $0.7 million of foreign currency remeasurement losses were recognized in 2023. In addition, in 2024, we recognized mark-to-market losses of $0.7 million on our pension and OPEB plans compared to $3.0 million in 2023.

Interest expense increased $27.2 million, or 47%, in 2024 compared to 2023. The increase was due to $18.4 million of debt modification costs recognized in 2024 related to our financing transactions completed in 2024, as well as the effect of full year interest incurred in 2024 on debt associated with our Existing 9.875% Notes issued in June 2023. See Note 7, "Interest Expense," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.

Income Tax Benefit. The following table summarizes the income tax benefit in 2024 and 2023:

The difference in effective income tax rate from 2024 to 2023 is primarily due to the jurisdictional mix of worldwide earnings taxed at different rates and the impact of a 2023 goodwill impairment charge that was not-tax deductible.

Currency Translation and Transactions

We translate the assets and liabilities of our non‑U.S. subsidiaries into U.S. dollars for consolidation and reporting purposes in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 830*, Foreign Currency Matters*. Foreign currency translation adjustments are generally recorded as part of stockholders’ (deficit) equity and identified as part of accumulated other comprehensive loss on the Consolidated Balance Sheets until such time as their operations are sold or substantially or completely liquidated.

We account for our Russian, Swiss, Luxembourg, United Kingdom and Mexican subsidiaries using the U.S. dollar as the functional currency, as sales and purchases are predominantly U.S. dollar‑denominated. Our remaining subsidiaries use their local currency as their functional currency.

We also record foreign currency transaction gains and losses from non‑permanent intercompany loan balances as part of cost of goods sold.

Significant changes in currency exchange rates impacting us are described under “—Effects of Changes in Currency Exchange Rates” and “—Results of Operations” in this section.

Effects of Changes in Currency Exchange Rates

When the currencies of non‑U.S. countries in which we have a manufacturing facility decline (or increase) in value relative to the U.S. dollar, this has the effect of reducing (or increasing) the U.S. dollar equivalent cost of goods sold and other expenses with respect to those facilities. In certain countries in which we have manufacturing facilities, and in certain export markets, we sell in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, when these currencies increase (or decline) in value relative to the U.S. dollar, this has the effect of increasing (or reducing) net sales. The result of these effects is to increase (or decrease) operating and net loss.

Many of the non-U.S. countries in which we have a manufacturing facility have been subject to significant economic and political changes, which have significantly impacted currency exchange rates. We cannot predict changes in currency exchange rates in the future or whether those changes will have net positive or negative impacts on our net sales, cost of goods sold or net (loss) income.

The impact of these changes in the average exchange rates of other currencies against the U.S. dollar on our net sales was a decrease of $1.1 million in 2024, an increase of $1.5 million in 2023 and a decrease of $11.7 million in 2022.

The impact of these changes in the average exchange rates of other currencies against the U.S. dollar on our cost of goods sold was a decrease of $8.5 million in 2024, an increase of $12.4 million in 2023 and a decrease of $20.6 million in 2022.

As part of our cash management, we also have intercompany loans between our subsidiaries. These loans are deemed to be temporary and, as a result, remeasurement gains and losses on these loans are recorded as currency gains or losses in cost of goods sold on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

We have in the past and may in the future use various financial instruments to manage certain exposures to risks caused by currency exchange rate changes, as described under “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk."

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our sources of funds have consisted principally of cash flow from operations and debt, including our credit facilities (subject to continued compliance with the financial covenants and representations). Our uses of those funds (other than for operations) have consisted principally of capital expenditures, debt repayment, dividends, share repurchases and other general purposes. On an ongoing basis, we expect to evaluate and consider strategic transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, equity investments, debt issuances, refinancing of our existing debt or repurchases of our outstanding debt obligations in open market or privately negotiated transactions, as well as other strategic transactions. These transactions may require cash expenditures, which may be funded through a combination of cash on hand, proceeds from the issuance of debt or from equity offerings. Disruptions in the U.S. and international financial markets could adversely affect our liquidity and the cost and availability of financing to us in the future.

We believe that we have adequate liquidity to meet our needs for at least the next twelve months. As of December 31, 2024, we had liquidity of $464.2 million, consisting of $108.0 million of availability under our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility (after giving effect to $7.4 million of letters of credit), $100.0 million of availability under our Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility (with respect to the Delayed Draw Commitments thereunder) and cash and cash equivalents of $256.2 million. As any borrowings under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility remain subject to compliance with the financial covenant thereunder (see below and Note 5, “Debt and Liquidity”), our operating performance as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 resulted in a reduction of the availability under the facility. We had gross long-term debt of $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2023, we had liquidity of $289.3 million, consisting of $112.4 million available under our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, after giving effect to $3.1 million of letters of credit, and cash and cash equivalents of $176.9 million. We had gross long-term debt of $950.0 million and short-term debt of $0.1 million as of December 31, 2023.

As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, $60.0 million and $77.6 million, respectively, of our cash and cash equivalents were located outside of the U.S. We repatriate funds from our foreign subsidiaries through intercompany dividends. All of our subsidiaries face the customary statutory limitation that distributed dividends may not exceed the amount of accumulated earnings. Upon repatriation to the United States, the foreign source portion of dividends we receive from our foreign subsidiaries is not subject to U.S. federal income tax because the amounts were either previously taxed or are exempted from tax by Section 245A of the Internal Revenue Service Code (the "Code").

Cash flow and plans to manage liquidity. Our cash flow typically fluctuates significantly between quarters due to various factors. These factors include customer order patterns, fluctuations in working capital requirements, timing of tax and interest payments and other factors. During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company consummated a series of financing transactions to extend the maturities on its outstanding debt and help to manage its liquidity. These transactions are described under “--Financing transactions” in this section.

Uses of Liquidity

In July 2019, our Board of Directors authorized a program to repurchase up to $100.0 million of our outstanding common stock. In November 2021, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $150.0 million of stock repurchases under this program. We may purchase shares from time to time on the open market, including under Rule 10b5-1 and/or Rule 10b-18 plans. The amount and timing of repurchases are subject to a variety of factors including liquidity, stock price, applicable legal requirements, other business objectives and market conditions. In 2024, we did not repurchase any shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2024, we had $99.0 million remaining under our stock repurchase authorization. Our ability to repurchase shares is restricted by certain covenants in our debt instruments.

In the first and second quarters of 2023, we paid a quarterly dividend of $0.01 per share. On August 2, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors elected to suspend the quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per share. There can be no assurance that we will resume paying dividends in the future in these amounts or at all. Our Board of Directors may change the timing and amount of any future dividend payments, if reinstated, or eliminate the payment of future dividends in its sole discretion, without any prior notice to our stockholders. Our ability to pay dividends will depend upon many factors, including our financial position and liquidity, results of operations, legal requirements, restrictions that may be imposed by the terms of our current and future credit facilities and other debt obligations and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.

Potential uses of our liquidity (other than operations) include capital expenditures, debt repayments, dividends, share repurchases and other general purposes. Any such potential uses of our liquidity may be funded by existing available liquidity, the incurrence of new secured or unsecured loans, capital market issuances, divestitures, joint ventures or equity investments. An improving economy, while resulting in improved results of operations, could increase our cash requirements to purchase inventories, make capital expenditures and fund payables and other obligations until increased accounts receivable are converted into cash. A downturn, including any recession, could significantly and negatively impact our results of operations and cash flows, which, coupled with increased borrowings, could negatively impact our credit ratings, our ability to comply with debt covenants, our ability to secure additional financing and the cost and availability of such financing.

In order to seek to minimize our credit risks, we may reduce our sales of, or refuse to sell (except for prepayment, cash on delivery or under letters of credit or parent guarantees), our products to some customers and potential customers. Our unrecovered trade receivables worldwide have not been material during the last two years individually or in the aggregate.

In the event that operating cash flows fail to provide sufficient liquidity to meet our business needs, including capital expenditures, any such shortfall would be expected to be made up by borrowings under our delayed draw term loan and 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, to the extent available, or other liquidity options described above. The Company also maintains access to credit and capital markets and may incur additional debt or issue equity securities from time to time, which may provide an additional source of liquidity. However, there can be no guarantee that we would be able to access the credit or capital markets on commercially satisfactory terms or at all.

Cash flows

The following table summarizes our cash flow activities:

(Dollars in thousands)

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities represented a $40.1 million use of cash in 2024 versus a $76.6 million source of cash in the prior year. The decrease in operating cash flow was primarily due to reduced cash provided by working capital $67.3 million in 2024 compared to 2023. Cash flow provided by inventories decreased $39.0 million, compared to 2023, primarily driven by actively managing our inventory levels to meet demand. Cash flow provided by accounts receivable decreased $41.2 million, compared to 2023, primarily due to reduced sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Cash flow used for income taxes decreased $25.6 million in 2024 compared to 2023 due to reduced federal income tax payments made in 2024. Cash flow used for accounts payable and accruals increased $15.6 million in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to the timing of payments.

Net cash used in investing activities was $34.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $53.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 primarily driven by reduced capital expenditures.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $155.7 million in 2024 compared to $18.7 million in 2023. The increase was primarily due to the issuance of $175.0 million of our First Lien Term Loans and the absence of $5.1 million of dividend payments in 2024, partially offset by $27.5 million of cash received from interest rate swaps in 2023, as well as a $10.8 million increase in deferred financing fees, in 2024 compared to 2023, related to debt issuance.

Financing transactions

On December 23, 2024 (the “Settlement Date”), the Company consummated offers by GrafTech Finance Inc. (“GrafTech Finance”) and GrafTech Global Enterprises Inc. (“GrafTech Global” and, together with GrafTech Finance, the “Issuers”), each a subsidiary of the Company, to exchange (each an “Exchange Offer” and, together, the “Exchange Offers”) any and all of (i) GrafTech Finance’s 4.625% senior secured notes due 2028 (the “Existing 4.625% Notes”) and (ii) GrafTech Global’s 9.875% senior secured notes due 2028 (the “Existing 9.875% Notes” and, together with the Existing 4.625% Notes, the “Existing Notes”), for the New 4.625% Notes and the New 9.875% Notes, respectively.

The Company and the Issuers also consummated the solicitation of consents (with respect to each series of Existing Notes, a “Consent Solicitation” and, collectively, the “Consent Solicitations”), on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in a confidential exchange offer memorandum and consent solicitation statement (the “Offering Memorandum”) from certain eligible holders of each series of the Existing Notes (the “Existing Noteholders”) (with respect to each series of Existing Notes, a “Consent” and, collectively, the “Consents”) pursuant to which amendments were entered into to the indenture governing the Existing 4.625% Notes (as amended, the “Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture”), and the indenture governing the Existing 9.875% Notes (as amended, the “Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture” and, together with the Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture, the “Existing Notes Indentures”), that (i) eliminated substantially all of the restrictive covenants as well as certain events of default and related provisions and definitions in the Existing Notes Indentures and (ii) released all of the collateral securing the Existing Notes.

Issuance of New Notes due 2029

On December 23, 2024, GrafTech Finance issued New 4.625% Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $498.2 million and GrafTech Global issued New 9.875% Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $446.2 million in exchange for $498.2 million of GrafTech Finance’s Existing 4.625% Notes and $446.2 million of GrafTech Global’s Existing 9.875% Notes, respectively, validly tendered and accepted in connection with the Exchange Offers. The New Notes are the Issuers’ second lien obligations.

The New 4.625% Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of the Settlement Date (the “New 4.625% Notes Indenture”), by and among GrafTech Finance, the Company, each subsidiary guarantor from time to time party thereto

(collectively, the “Subsidiary Guarantors,” and, together with the Company, the “Guarantors”), and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “New Trustee”) and collateral agent (the “New Notes Collateral Agent”). The New 4.625% Notes will pay interest of 4.625% semiannually per annum.

The New 9.875% Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of the Settlement Date (the “New 9.875% Notes Indenture” and, together with the New 4.625% Notes Indenture, the “New Notes Indentures”), by and among GrafTech Global, the Guarantors, GrafTech Finance, the New Trustee and the New Notes Collateral Agent. The New 9.875% Notes will pay interest of 9.875% semiannually per annum.

GrafTech Finance may redeem some or all of the New 4.625% Notes at the redemption prices and on the terms specified in the New 4.625% Notes Indenture. If, at any time prior to December 23, 2026, all or a portion of the outstanding principal amount of the New 4.625% Notes are prepaid, repaid, redeemed or accelerated (or deemed accelerated), including as a result of GrafTech Finance filing for bankruptcy or becoming subject to any other insolvency proceeding, GrafTech Finance will be required to pay the applicable New 4.625% Notes Redemption Price (as defined in the New 4.625% Notes Indenture). If the Company or GrafTech Finance experiences specific kinds of changes in control or the Company or any of the restricted subsidiaries sells certain of its assets, then GrafTech Finance must offer to repurchase the New 4.625% Notes on the terms set forth in the New 4.625% Notes Indenture.

On and after December 23, 2026, GrafTech Global may redeem some or all of the New 9.875% Notes at the redemption prices and on the terms specified in the New 9.875% Notes Indenture. At any time prior to December 23, 2026, GrafTech Global may also at its option and on one or more occasions redeem up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes issued with the proceeds from certain equity offerings, at a redemption price of 109.875% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of redemption. In addition, at any time prior to December 23, 2026, GrafTech Global may at its option on one or more occasions redeem all or a part of the notes, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes redeemed, plus a “make-whole” premium, together with accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of redemption. If, at any time prior to December 23, 2028, all or a portion of the outstanding principal amount of the New 9.875% Notes are prepaid, repaid, redeemed or accelerated (or deemed accelerated), including as a result of GrafTech Global filing for bankruptcy or becoming subject to any other insolvency proceeding, GrafTech Global will be required to pay the applicable New 9.875% Notes Redemption Price or the Applicable Premium (each as defined in the New 9.875% Notes Indenture), as applicable. If the Company or GrafTech Global experiences specific kinds of changes in control or the Company or any of the restricted subsidiaries sells certain of its assets, then GrafTech Global must offer to repurchase the New 9.875% Notes on the terms set forth in the New 9.875% Notes Indenture.

The New Notes Indentures contain certain covenants that, among other things, limit the Company’s ability, and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries, to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock, pay distributions on, redeem or repurchase capital stock or redeem or repurchase subordinated debt, incur or suffer to exist liens securing indebtedness, make certain investments, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, consummate certain asset sales and effect a consolidation or merger, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all assets. Pursuant to the New Notes Indentures, if our pro forma consolidated total net leverage ratio is no greater than 2.50 to 1.00, we can make restricted payments so long as no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing. If our pro forma consolidated total net leverage ratio is greater than 2.50 to 1.00, we can make restricted payments pursuant to certain baskets. We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants in the New Notes Indentures as of December 31, 2024.

The New 4.625% Notes are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior secured second-priority basis by the domestic Guarantors (the “U.S. Guarantors”) that guarantee the Existing 4.625% Notes and certain other foreign subsidiary Guarantors of the Company (the “Foreign Guarantors”). The New 9.875% Notes are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior secured second-priority basis by the U.S. Guarantors that guarantee the Existing 9.875% Notes and the Foreign Guarantors. In accordance with the terms of the New Notes Indentures, the New Trustee is obligated to first enforce the guarantees of the U.S. Guarantors prior to any guarantees of the Foreign Guarantors, subject to certain terms described therein. The New Notes are secured by a perfected second-priority security interest in all of the assets and property of the Issuers and the Guarantors that currently secure the Existing Notes, and certain other assets and property of the Foreign Guarantors as set forth in the New Notes Indentures (the “Collateral”).

The New Notes and each guarantee constitute: senior obligations that rank pari passu in right of payment with all of our and the Guarantors’ existing and future senior indebtedness, including the First Lien Term Loans (as defined below) and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility; provided, that the First Lien Term Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility are senior in right of payment to the New Notes with respect to proceeds of the Foreign Guarantor facility located in Calais, France (the “Calais Facility”) solely to the extent that such facility does not constitute Collateral; secured on a second-priority basis, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens, on the Collateral that secures the First Lien Term Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility on a first-priority basis; effectively junior to all of our and the Guarantors’ obligations under the First Lien Term

Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility (and other indebtedness secured on a first-priority basis on the Collateral pari passu with the liens securing the First Lien Term Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility) to the extent of the value of the Collateral securing the First Lien Term Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility (and such other indebtedness secured on a first-priority basis on the Collateral); effectively senior to all of our and the Guarantors’ future debt that is secured by liens on the Collateral securing the New Notes that are junior to those securing the New Notes and to any of our and the Guarantors’ unsecured indebtedness, in each case, to the extent of the value of the Collateral securing the New Notes and the guarantees; and structurally subordinated to all of our existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities, including trade payables, of each of our subsidiaries that do not issue or guarantee the New Notes.

Existing 4.625% Notes due 2028

In December 2020, GrafTech Finance issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of Existing 4.625% Notes in a private offering. All of the net proceeds from the Existing 4.625% Notes were used to partially repay borrowings under our 2018 Term Loan Facility.

GrafTech Finance may redeem some or all of the Existing 4.625% Notes at the redemption prices and on the terms specified in the Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture. Prior to the Settlement Date, if the Company or GrafTech Finance experienced specific kinds of changes in control or the Company or any of its restricted subsidiaries sold certain of its assets, then GrafTech Finance was required to offer to repurchase the Existing 4.625% Notes on the terms set forth in the Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture.

Prior to the Settlement Date, the Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture contained certain covenants that, among other things, limited the Company’s ability, and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries, to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock, pay distributions on, redeem or repurchase capital stock or redeem or repurchase subordinated debt, incur or suffer to exist liens securing indebtedness, make certain investments, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, consummate certain asset sales and effect a consolidation or merger, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all assets. Pursuant to the Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture, prior to the Settlement Date, if our pro forma consolidated first lien net leverage ratio was no greater than 2.00 to 1.00, we could make restricted payments so long as no default or event of default had occurred and was continuing. Prior to the Settlement Date, if our pro forma consolidated first lien net leverage ratio was greater than 2.00 to 1.00, we could make restricted payments pursuant to certain baskets. In connection with the consummation of the Consent Solicitations, substantially all of the restrictive covenants and related provisions and definitions in the Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture were removed, effective as the Settlement Date.

The Existing 4.625% Notes Indenture contains certain events of default customary for agreements of its type (with customary grace periods, as applicable) and provides that, upon the occurrence of an event of default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Company or GrafTech Finance, all outstanding Existing 4.625% Notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other type of event of default occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of at least 30% in principal amount of the then outstanding Existing 4.625% Notes may declare all of the Existing 4.625% Senior Notes to be due and payable immediately. We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Following the Exchange Offer, approximately $1.8 million aggregate principal amount of Existing 4.625% Notes remain outstanding.

Existing 9.875% Notes due 2028

In June 2023, GrafTech Global issued $450 million aggregate principal amount of Existing 9.875% Notes, including $11.4 million of original issue discount. The Existing 9.875% Notes were issued at an issue price of 97.456% of the principal amount thereof in a private offering. The net proceeds from the Existing 9.875% Notes were used to repay borrowings under our 2018 Term Loan Facility.

GrafTech Global may redeem some or all of the Existing 9.875% Notes at the redemption prices and on the terms specified in the Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture. Prior to the Settlement Date, if the Company or GrafTech Global experienced specific kinds of changes in control or the Company or any of its restricted subsidiaries sold certain of its assets, then GrafTech Global was required to offer to repurchase the Existing 9.875% Notes on the terms set forth in the Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture.

Prior to the Settlement Date, the Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture contained certain covenants that, among other things, limited the Company’s ability, and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries, to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock, pay distributions on, redeem or repurchase capital stock or redeem or repurchase subordinated debt, incur or suffer to exist liens securing indebtedness, make certain investments, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, consummate certain asset sales and effect a consolidation or merger, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all assets. Pursuant to the Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture, prior to the Settlement Date, if our pro forma consolidated first lien net leverage ratio was no greater than 2.00 to 1.00, we could make restricted payments so long as no default or event of default had occurred and was continuing. Prior to the Settlement Date, if our pro forma consolidated first lien net leverage ratio was greater than 2.00 to 1.00, we could make restricted payments pursuant to certain baskets. In connection with the consummation of the Consent Solicitations, substantially all of the restrictive covenants and related provisions and definitions in the Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture were removed, effective as the Settlement Date.

The Existing 9.875% Notes Indenture contains certain events of default customary for agreements of its type (with customary grace periods, as applicable) and provides that, upon the occurrence of an event of default arising from certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the Company or GrafTech Global, all outstanding Existing 9.875% Notes will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice. If any other type of event of default occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of at least 30% in principal amount of the then outstanding Existing 9.875% Notes may declare all of the Existing 9.875% Notes to be due and payable immediately. We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Following the Exchange Offer, approximately $3.8 million aggregate principal amount of Existing 9.875% Notes remains outstanding.

Initial First Lien Term Loan Facility; Delayed Draw First Lien Term Loan Facility

Concurrent with the settlement of the Exchange Offers, on the Settlement Date, Barclays Bank plc (the “Fronting Lender”), agreed to provide GrafTech Global $175 million of new senior secured first lien term loans (the “Initial First Lien Term Loans”) and provided commitments (the “Delayed Draw Commitments”) with respect to $100 million of new senior secured first lien delayed draw term loans (together with the Initial First Lien Term Loans, the “First Lien Term Loans”). The First Lien Term Loans are governed by a new credit agreement, dated as of the Settlement Date, by and among GrafTech, as holdings, GrafTech Global, as borrower, GLAS USA LLC, as administrative agent, GLAS Americas LLC, as collateral agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement”). The Initial First Lien Term Loans were drawn in a single drawing on the Settlement Date. The Delayed Draw Commitments are available to the Company until July 23, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions precedent thereto.

The First Lien Term Loans will mature on December 23, 2029, and are guaranteed by the Guarantors. The First Lien Term Loans are pari passu in right of payment with the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility and the New Notes, but the First Lien Term Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility are senior in right of payment to the New Notes with respect to the proceeds of the Calais Facility. The First Lien Term Loans and the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility are secured on a pari passu basis by perfected first-priority security interests in the Collateral.

The First Lien Term Loans bear interest at the option of GrafTech Global, at a rate equal to (i) Term SOFR (as defined in the First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement) (subject to a 2.00% floor) plus 6.00% per annum or (ii) the ABR (as defined in the First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement) plus 5.00% per annum.

The Company will pay a ticking fee with respect to undrawn Delayed Draw Commitments in an amount equal to 3.75% per annum of the amount of such undrawn and outstanding commitments. The First Lien Term Loans are prepayable in whole or in part at the option of the Company (i) prior to the 24-month anniversary of the Settlement Date, subject to payment of a customary “make-whole” premium (which includes a 2.00% prepayment premium), (ii) on or after the 24-month anniversary of the Settlement Date through, but excluding, the 36-month anniversary of the Settlement Date, subject to a 2.00% prepayment premium, and (iii) on or after the 36-month anniversary of the Settlement Date, without a prepayment premium. If the Company sells certain of its assets, then GrafTech Global may be required to offer to prepay the First Lien Term Loans and/or other indebtedness of GrafTech Global and/or its subsidiaries.

The First Lien Term Credit Agreement contains certain covenants that, among other things, limit the Company’s ability to incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock, pay distributions on, redeem or repurchase capital stock or redeem or repurchase certain debt, incur or suffer to exist certain liens, make certain investments, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, consummate certain asset sales and effect certain fundamental changes. The First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement also contains certain events of default (with grace periods, as applicable) that permit the agent to accelerate the First Lien Term Loans, and provide that, upon the occurrence of certain events of default arising from bankruptcy or insolvency, all First Lien Term Loans will become due and payable immediately without further action or notice.

2018 Term Loan and 2018 Revolving Credit Facility

In February 2018, the Company entered into a credit agreement (as amended, the “2018 Credit Agreement”), which provided for (i) a $2,250 million senior secured term facility (the “2018 Term Loan Facility”) after giving effect to the June 2018 amendment (the “First Amendment”) that increased the aggregate principal amount of the 2018 Term Loan Facility from

$1,500 million to $2,250 million and (ii) a $330 million senior secured revolving credit facility after giving effect to the May 2022 amendment that increased the revolving commitments under the 2018 Credit Agreement by $80 million from $250 million (the “2018 Revolving Credit Facility”). GrafTech Finance Inc. (“GrafTech Finance”) was the sole borrower under the 2018 Term Loan Facility while GrafTech Finance, GrafTech Switzerland SA (“Swissco”) and GrafTech Luxembourg II S.à.r.l. (“Luxembourg Holdco” and, together with GrafTech Finance and Swissco, the “Co-Borrowers”) were co-borrowers under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility. In December 2024, the 2018 Credit Agreement was further amended to provide for a $225 million senior secured first lien revolving credit facility, reducing the revolving commitments under the 2018 Credit Agreement by $105 million. On June 26, 2023, GrafTech repaid the term loans under the 2018 Term Loan Facility with proceeds from the Existing 9.875% Notes issuance. As of December 31, 2024, there are no outstanding term loans under the 2018 Term Loan Facility.

Until at least $275 million of First Lien Term Loans have been borrowed by the Company, the Company is not permitted to have more than $15 million in aggregate principal amount of revolving loans outstanding at any time under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility. The Company’s ability to borrow under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility is subject to certain customary conditions precedent, including that the Company must not have more than $100 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents after giving effect to the applicable borrowing.

The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility matures on November 30, 2028, subject to a springing maturity date 91 days prior to the maturity date of certain other reference indebtedness. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the availability under our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility was $108.0 million and $112.4 million, respectively. As any borrowings under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility remain subject to compliance with the financial covenant thereunder, our operating performance as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 resulted in our inability to access the full amount of commitments under the facility. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no borrowings outstanding on the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility and there was $7.4 million and $3.1 million of letters of credit drawn against the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility as of each date, respectively.

Borrowings under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility bear interest (i) with respect to new revolving loans denominated in U.S. dollars, at the option of GrafTech Finance, Adjusted Term SOFR plus 3.50% per annum or ABR (as defined in the 2018 Revolving Credit Agreement) plus 2.50% per annum and (ii) with respect to new revolving loans denominated in euros, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate (as defined in the 2018 Revolving Credit Agreement) plus 3.50% per annum. Undrawn commitments under the New Revolving Credit Facility bear a commitment fee of 0.25% per annum. Lenders holding all of the Company’s existing revolving commitments who agreed to provide commitments under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility were paid a customary extension fee, in connection with the December 2024 amendment.

The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility has customary negative covenants and events of default and is required to be prepaid in the case of certain mandatory prepayments of the First Lien Term Loans. The 2018 Revolving Credit Facility also includes a financial covenant requiring that the Company have a Senior Secured First Lien Net Leverage Ratio of no more than 4.00 to 1.00, tested quarterly, to the extent outstanding revolving loans and letters of credit (subject to certain exclusions) exceed 51.3% of the amount of commitments then-existing under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility. We were in compliance with all of our debt covenants as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Material Cash Requirements. The following table summarizes our contractual and other material cash obligations as of December 31, 2024:

(Dollars in Thousands)

(a) Represents our total debt from our New and Existing 9.875% Notes, our New and Existing 4.625% Notes and our Initial First Lien Term Loans (see "--Financing transactions" in this section for full details of these obligations).

(b) Represents estimated interest payments on the Existing 9.875% Notes and the Existing 4.625% Notes through December 15, 2028, interest payments on the New 9.875% Notes and the New 4.625% Notes through December 23, 2029, as well as estimated interest payments on our Initial First Lien and Delayed Draw Term Loans through 2029.

(c) Represents estimated contributions under our defined benefit pension plans. Contributions in future periods will be dependent upon regulatory requirements, the plans' funded ratios, plan investment performance, discount rates, actuarial assumptions, plan amendments, our contribution objectives and other factors. We anticipate funding those contributions with cash on hand or cash generated from operations. It is not practical to estimate the required contributions beyond 2025 at the present time.

(d) Represents committed purchases of raw materials.

(e) Represents Brookfield's right to receive future payments from us for 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal income tax and Swiss tax that we and our subsidiaries realize as a result of the utilization of certain tax assets attributable to periods prior to our IPO, including certain federal NOLs, previously taxed income under Section 959 of the Code, foreign tax credits, and certain NOLs in Swissco. In addition, we will pay interest on the payments we will make to Brookfield with respect to the amount of these cash savings from the due date (without extensions) of our tax return where we realize these savings to the payment date at a rate equal to the one-month period SOFR plus 1.10% per annum. The term of the Tax Receivable Agreement commenced on April 23, 2018 and will continue until there is no potential for any future tax benefit payments.

(f) In addition, letters of credit of $7.4 million were issued under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility as of December 31, 2024.

Critical accounting policies

Critical accounting policies are those that require difficult, subjective or complex judgments by management, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods. We use and rely on estimates in determining the economic useful lives of our assets, obligations under our employee benefit plans, provisions for doubtful accounts, provisions for restructuring charges and contingencies, tax valuation allowances, evaluation of other intangible assets, pension and OPEB and various other recorded or disclosed amounts, including inventory valuations. Estimates require us to use our judgment. While we believe that our estimates for these matters are reasonable, if the actual amount is significantly different than the estimated amount, our assets, liabilities or results of operations may be overstated or understated. The following accounting policies are deemed to be critical.

Impairment of long‑lived assets. We may record impairment losses on long‑lived assets used in operations when events and circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired and the future undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets. Assets to be disposed are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell. Estimates of the future cash flows are subject to significant uncertainties and assumptions. If the actual value is significantly less than the estimated fair value, our assets may be overstated. Future events and circumstances, some of which are described below, may result in an impairment charge:

• new technological developments that provide significantly enhanced benefits over our current technology;
• significant negative economic or industry trends;
• changes in our business strategy that alter the expected usage of the related assets; and
• future economic results that are below our expectations used in the current assessments.

As of December 31, 2024, we tested our long-lived assets for impairment and determined that their carrying value was recoverable.

Accounting for income taxes. We are required to estimate our income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we are subject to taxation. This process requires us to make the following assessments:

• estimate our actual current tax liability in each jurisdiction;
• estimate our temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes (which result in deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”) that we include within the Consolidated Balance Sheets); and
• assess the likelihood that our DTAs will be recovered from future taxable income and, if we believe that recovery is not more likely than not, a valuation allowance is established.

If our estimates are incorrect, our DTAs or DTLs may be overstated or understated.

As of December 31, 2024, we had a valuation allowance of $19.3 million against certain DTAs. Our losses in certain tax jurisdictions in recent periods represented sufficient negative evidence to require a full valuation allowance. We also have a partial valuation allowance related to certain U.S. state net operating losses where realizability is unlikely due to discontinued operations or the ability of our U.S. subsidiaries to generate capital gains to utilize capital loss carryforwards in these states. Until we determine that we will generate sufficient jurisdictional taxable income to realize our net operating losses and DTAs, we continue to maintain a valuation allowance.

As of December 31, 2024, we had DTAs of $52.4 milllion in the U.S. These DTAs consist of the previously mentioned state items with a valuation allowance and approximately $34.2 million in additional net DTAs recognized in 2024. These additional DTAs include approximately $30.0 million related to interest limitations and U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards that do not expire, and which may be used to offset taxable income in future periods to reduce our income taxes payable in these future periods. However, our U.S. losses in recent periods and the potential for U.S. losses in 2025 may lead to a cumulative U.S. loss and may represent sufficient negative evidence to require a full valuation allowance on U.S. DTAs, which would materially increase our expenses in the period the allowance is recognized and materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. If cumulative losses are realized, we will evaluate additional evidence such as our projections for growth and market recovery to determine if a valuation allowance is required, as well as other sources of future taxable income.

Related-party Tax Receivable Agreement. On April 23, 2018, the Company entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement, which provides Brookfield, as the sole pre-IPO stockholder, the right to receive future payments from us for 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal income tax and Swiss tax that we and our subsidiaries realize as a result of the utilization of certain tax assets attributable to periods prior to our IPO, including the pre-IPO Tax Assets. In addition, we will pay interest on the payments we will make to Brookfield with respect to the amount of these cash savings from the due date (without extensions) of our tax return where we realize these savings to the payment date at a rate equal to the one-month period SOFR plus 1.10%. The term of the Tax Receivable Agreement commenced on April 23, 2018 and will continue until there is no potential for any future tax benefit payments.

The calculation of the Tax Receivable Agreement liability requires significant judgment with regards to the assumptions underlying the forecast of future taxable income, in total and by jurisdiction, as well as their timing.

Revenue recognition. Revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods, in an amount that reflects the consideration which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods.

To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that we determine are within the scope of ASC 606, the following five steps are performed: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation. We only apply the five‑step model to contracts when it is probable that we will collect the consideration we are entitled to in exchange for the goods or services we transfer to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract and determine those that are performance obligations, and assess whether each promised good or service is distinct. We then recognize as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.

Our revenue streams primarily consist of LTAs and short‑term purchase orders (deliveries within the year) directly with steel manufacturers. The promises of delivery of graphite electrodes represent the distinct performance obligations to which the contract consideration is allocated, based upon the electrode stand‑alone selling prices for the class of customers at the time the agreements are executed. The performance obligations are considered to be satisfied at a point in time when control of the electrodes has been transferred to the customer. The Company has elected to treat the transportation of the electrodes from our premises to the customer’s facilities as a fulfillment activity, and outbound freight cost is accrued when the graphite electrode performance obligation is satisfied. Any variable consideration is recognized up to its unconstrained amount (i.e., up to the amount for which it is probable that a significant reversal of the variable revenue will not happen).

Revenue recognition requires the estimation of the electrode stand-alone selling price, using a variety of inputs, from market observable information to internal pricing guidelines. The estimate of stand-alone selling price on the various classes of contracts is the basis for the allocation of revenue amongst periods for new and modified contracts. Historically the amount of contract assets and liabilities resulting from these estimates has been immaterial. See Note 2, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

We are exposed to market risks, primarily from changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, energy commodity prices and commercial energy rates. From time to time, we enter into transactions that have been authorized according to documented policies and procedures in order to manage these risks. These transactions primarily relate to the financial instruments described below. Since the counterparties to these financial instruments are large commercial banks and similar financial institutions, we do not believe that we are exposed to material counterparty credit risk. We do not use financial instruments for trading purposes.

With respect to the First Lien Term Loans and if we draw under our 2018 Revolving Credit Facility, we are exposed to changes in interest rates. Borrowings under the 2018 Revolving Credit Facility bear interest (i) with respect to the new revolving loans denominated in U.S. dollars, at the option of GrafTech Finance, Adjusted Term SOFR plus 3.50% per annum or ABR plus 2.50% per annum and (ii) with respect to new revolving loans denominated in euros, the Adjusted EURIBOR Rate plus 3.50% per annum. The First Lien Term Loans bear interest at the option of GrafTech Global, at a rate equal to (i) Term SOFR (as defined in the First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement) (subject to a 2.00% floor) plus 6.00% per annum or (ii) the ABR (as defined in the First Lien Term Loan Credit Agreement) plus 5.00% per annum.

Our exposure to changes in currency exchange rates results primarily from:

• sales made by our subsidiaries in currencies other than local currencies;
• raw material purchases made by our foreign subsidiaries in currencies other than local currencies; and
• investments in and intercompany loans to our foreign subsidiaries and our share of the earnings of those subsidiaries, to the extent denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.

Our exposure to changes in energy commodity prices and commercial energy rates results primarily from the purchase or sale of refined oil products and the purchase of natural gas and electricity for use in our manufacturing operations.

Interest rate risk management. We have previously entered into agreements with financial institutions that were intended to limit our exposure to additional interest expense due to increases in variable interest rates. These instruments effectively capped our interest rate exposure. As of December 31, 2024 or 2023, we did not have any outstanding interest rate swap contracts.

Currency rate management. We enter into foreign currency derivatives from time to time to attempt to manage exposure to changes in currency exchange rates. These foreign currency derivatives, which include, but are not limited to, forward exchange contracts and purchased currency options, attempt to hedge global currency exposures. Forward exchange contracts are agreements to exchange different currencies at a specified future date and at a specified rate. Purchased currency options are instruments which give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to exchange different currencies at a specified rate at a specified date or over a range of specified dates. Forward exchange contracts and purchased currency options are carried at fair value.

Our outstanding foreign currency derivatives represented net unrealized pre-tax gains of $0.1 million at both December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Energy commodity management. We previously entered into commodity derivative contracts to effectively fix some or all of our exposure to refined oil products. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no commodity derivative contracts outstanding.

Sensitivity analysis. We use sensitivity analysis to quantify potential impacts that market rate changes may have on the underlying exposures as well as on the fair values of our derivatives. The sensitivity analysis for the derivatives represents the hypothetical changes in value of the hedge position and does not reflect the related gain or loss on the forecasted underlying transaction.

As of December 31, 2024, a 10% appreciation or depreciation in the value of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies from the prevailing market rates would result in a corresponding decrease of $0.6 million or a corresponding increase of $0.6 million, respectively, in the fair value of the foreign currency hedge portfolio.

For further information related to the financial instruments described above, see Note 1, "Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" and Note 8, "Fair Value Measurements and Derivative Instruments" in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate disclosure controls and procedures. Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2024. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that these controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2024.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act as a process, designed by, or under the supervision of, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer and effected by the Board of Directors, management and other personnel of a company, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, and includes those policies and procedures that:

• pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect transactions and dispositions of assets of the company;
• provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Board of Directors; and
• provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets of the company that could have a material effect on its financial statements.

Internal control over financial reporting has inherent limitations which may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or because the level of compliance with related policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013). Based on that assessment, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024. The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is presented elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.