China bars foundry capacity expansion in 11 provinces and cities; starts environmental inspection in six provinces and cities

China’s central authorities have barred 11 provinces and cities from allowing foundry capacity expansion, in order to improve air quality.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) on July 25 jointly released a notice to the governments of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Shaanxi. The notice bans foundry capacity addition across Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and nearby regions, the Fenwei plain and the Yangtze River Delta.

Local governments have been ordered to inspect capacity swap plans strictly to ensure the shutdown of obsolete facilities and construction of new facilities.

In another update from Shanghai Metals Market, Beijing has almost completed the second round of nationwide environmental probes and entered the crucial inspection stage.  Eight Beijing-led teams have finished stationing at various locations, a spokesperson from Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) said on July 26.

The first phase of month-long inspection will cover six provinces and cities of Shanghai, Fujian, Hainan, Chongqing, Gansu and Qinghai, as well as two state-owned firms of China Minmetals and China National Chemical (ChemChina).