China’s Handan city, the second largest steel production hub in Hebei Province after Tangshan, is tightening production controls on local industrial producers, including steel producers, in the September-October period, aiming to improve air quality, as announced by the provincial government of Hebei on September 2.
Accordingly, production of the local steel industry will be restricted by a further 4.4 percent as compared to July and August, and Handan will shut down 20 blast furnaces of less than 1,000 cubic meters and 20 converters of less than 100 mt by the end of 2021. In particular, by the end of September it will shut down 50 percent of its targeted capacity and will shut down 70 percent of its targeted capacity ahead of the winter heating season.