8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

  

FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 16, 2003

GRAFTECH INTERNATIONAL LTD.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware	1-13888	06-1385548
(State or Other	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employee
Jurisdiction of Incorporation)		Identification Number)

Brandywine West, 1521 Concord Pike, Suite 301, Wilmington, Delaware 19803
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

        Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: 302-778-8227

 

Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Item 9. Regulation FD Disclosure.

        GrafTech International Ltd. (the “Corporation”) hereby incorporates by reference the contents of the press release, dated September 16, 2003, announcing certain graphite electrode price increases. A copy of this press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

SIGNATURE

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Corporation has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Date:     September 16, 2003

GRAFTECH INTERNATIONAL LTD.


By: /s/ Corrado F. De Gasperis
——————————————
Corrado F. De Gasperis
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
and Chief Information Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)

EXHIBIT INDEX

99.1 Press release of GrafTech International Ltd., dated September 16, 2003.

EX-99

Exhibit 99.1

Brandywine West, 1521 Concord Pike, Suite 301
Wilmington, DE 19803

N E W S  R E L E A S E

CONTACT: Elise A. Garofalo
Director of Investor Relations
302-778-8227

GrafTech Announces Graphite Electrode Price Increases

        Wilmington, DE – September 16, 2003 – GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:GTI) today announced that it has increased graphite electrode prices in Europe by Euro 100 per metric ton, effective immediately for all new orders taken through December 31, 2003. This price increase is due in part to continued upward pressure on energy and raw material costs. GTI’s graphite electrode business is virtually sold out for 2003; therefore, GTI does not expect this price increase to materially impact 2003 results.

        GTI has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 which has not been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The securities covered thereby may not be sold nor may any offers to buy be accepted prior to the time that the registration statement becomes effective. This press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. The offering of these securities shall be made only by means of a prospectus contained in the registration statement filed with and declared effective by the SEC.

        GrafTech International Ltd. is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and providers of high quality synthetic and natural graphite and carbon based products and technical and research and development services, with customers in more than 70 countries engaged in the manufacture of steel, aluminum, silicon metal, automotive products and electronics.

        NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release and any related calls or discussions may contain forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements about such matters as: future production and sales of products that incorporate our products or that are produced using our products; future prices and sales of and demand for our products; future operational and financial performance of various businesses; strategic plans; impacts of regional and global economic conditions; interest rate management activities; corporate and business projects; legal matters; consulting projects; potential offerings, sales and other actions regarding debt or equity securities; and future asset sales, costs, working capital, revenues, business opportunities, values, debt levels, cash flows, cost savings and reductions, margins, earnings and growth. We have no duty to update these statements. Actual future events and circumstances (including future performance, results and trends) could differ materially from those set forth in these statements due to various factors. These factors include: the possibility that global or regional economic conditions or end market conditions for our products may not improve or may worsen; the possibility that anticipated additions to capacity for producing steel in electric arc furnaces may not occur or reductions in graphite electrode manufacturing capacity may not continue; the possibility that increased production of steel in electric arc furnaces or reductions in graphite electrode manufacturing capacity may not result in stable or increased demand for or prices or sales volumes of graphite electrodes; the possibility that economic or technological developments may adversely affect growth in the use of graphite cathodes in lieu of carbon cathodes in aluminum smelting; the possibility that anticipated additions to aluminum smelting capacity using graphite cathodes may not occur or that increased production of graphite cathodes by competitors may occur; the possibility that increased production of aluminum or stable production of graphite cathodes by competitors may not result in stable or increased demand for or prices or sales volume of graphite cathodes; the possibility of delays in or failure to achieve widespread commercialization of fuel cells which use our products or that manufacturers of such fuel cells may obtain those products from other sources; the possibility of delays in or failure to achieve successful development and commercialization of new or improved products; the possibility of delays in meeting or failure to meet contractually specified or other product development milestones or delays in expanding or failure to expand our manufacturing capacity to meet growth in demand, if any; the possibility that we may be unable to protect our intellectual property or may infringe the intellectual property rights of others; the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances relating to antitrust investigations or lawsuits or to lawsuits initiated by us against our former parents; the possibility that expected cost savings will not be fully realized; or that anticipated asset sales may be delayed or may not occur or result in anticipated proceeds; the possibility that the anticipated benefits from corporate realignment or organizational refinements may be delayed or may not occur or that our provision for income taxes and effective income tax rate may fluctuate significantly; the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances relating to health, safety or environmental compliance or remediation obligations or liabilities to third parties, labor relations, or raw material or energy supplies or cost; the possibility that changes in market prices of our common stock or senior notes may affect our plans regarding de-leveraging or debt reduction activities; changes in interest or currency exchange rates, in competitive conditions or in inflation; the possibility of failure to satisfy conditions or milestones to, or occurrence of breach of terms of, our strategic alliances; the possibility that changes in financial performance may affect our compliance with financial covenants or the amount of funds available for borrowing under our revolving credit facility; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in our filings with the SEC, as well as future decisions by us. Except as otherwise specifically noted, references to future cost savings are based on assumptions and are subject to limitations detailed in our filings with the SEC. The statements in this news release or any related discussions or calls shall not be deemed to constitute an admission as to any liability in connection with any claim or lawsuit. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. References to street or analyst earnings estimates mean those published by First Call, a service of the Thomson Financial Network.