China intends to cut steel production to reduce air pollution

Almaty. September 26. Silkroadnews – China intends to cut steel production to reduce air pollution, Mining.com portal reported.
China is expected to slash in half the rate of steel production in Tangshan, a city in the north-east that produces 11 per cent of the country’s total output. The reduction is aimed at diminishing winter pollution from plants that process coking coal, a crucial ingredient in the steelmaking process, the report said.
According to the publication, steel production in Tangshan City will be cut by 20 million metric tonnes of steel or 7.5% of the annual production in the country. It is expected that other key steel-producing cities, such as Shijiazhuang, Anyang and Handan, will announce similar cuts.
The total production of coking coal is projected to be reduced by 30%. The relevant government directive was issued at a time when prices for coking coal showed a downward trend of more than 5%.
Similarly, prices for low-grade iron ore, another key component of steel, fell more than 18% last month.
China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has also scheduled round plant inspections in Beijing, Tianjin and 26 other cities to comply with stricter regulations concerning permissible emission standards.