China deepens production restrictions to combat smog

Steel mills and other industrial plants in China's main steel city, Tangshan, were ordered Saturday to make further production cuts in December as part of emergency measures to tackle smog.

The order of the local government came in connection with the forecast that from December 9 to December 31 in the region there will be an increase in smog, local media reported, citing a government statement.

Steel mills in the city, sources of smog, will have to shut down their sintering capacity by 30-60 percent, or even shut down depending on emissions, while coke plants will have to extend production times to produce less dust.

Companies in the building materials, pharmaceuticals, cement and mining industries were also required to respond to emergencies under the second-tier smog alert system, the second largest in the country's four-tier alert system, in December.

Tangshan also imposed restrictions on diesel trucks carrying commodities to and from ports. City factories have already met production limits set for the winter, with cuts averaging 30-35 percent, down 42 percent last year.

According to the China National Environmental Monitoring Center, the average concentration of light particles known as PM2.5 reaches 90 micrograms per cubic meter.

China aims to keep PM2.5 concentrations below 35 micro grams by 2035.