SHANGHAI, Oct. 16 (SMM) – Many secondary aluminium producers in China’s Hebei province have been ordered to shut after the government issued air pollution control initiatives scheme in September, Shanghai Metals Market has learned.

Small-to-medium producers of cast aluminium alloy in Baoding city and Tianjin municipality, with a total estimated capacity of 150,000 tpy, were ordered to close down, according to SMM’s aluminum analyst Eric Zhang.

Big ones including Hebei Lizhong Group and Hebei Century Longda have been unaffected.

China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and five other ministries jointly issued air pollution control initiatives scheme on September 18, aiming at improving air quality in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan circle, Inner Mongolia region, Shanxi and Shandong provinces.

Beijing suffered the worst smog in a decade this winter, triggering heightened environmental protection drive by Chinese government. To read all SMM’s reports regarding its impact on China’s metals and steel industry, please click on the tag: China environmental drive.