China’s robust crude steel production growth continued in July, with volumes totalling 74Mt for the month, up1.1% on month and 10.3% year on year. Production volumes for the first seven months of 2017 total 491.6Mt, anincrease of 5.1% from the corresponding period in 2016. These volumes have the potential to fall in the comingmonths, with the commencement in October of the central government’s 2017–18 Winter Air Pollution plan for theBeijing, Hebei and Tianjin regions. Steel and coke producers in 26 nominated cities in the region will be requiredto decrease steel and coke production by 50% and 30%, respectively, in an effort to lower particulate matterlevels 25% to 60μg/m?. With steel margins remaining strong, this reduction is anticipated to be mostly accountedfor by stockpiles and output increases from other regions.
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