Maintenance amid air pollution in Zhengzhou affects hot-rolled coil output

SHANGHAI, Feb 26 (SMM) – Intensified air pollution prompted steel mills in Zhengzhou of Henan province to put their hot-rolled coil production lines into two-week maintenance from February 21, and this will affect hot-rolled coil output by an average 10,000 mt per day. 

Maintenance is slated to end on March 7, SMM learned. 

As of Tuesday February 26, escalated smog-alert in Zhengzhou provided a limited impact on local rebar production, as local steel mills were already under production cuts of rebar or suspension due to a shortage of steel billet, an SMM survey found. 

The Zhengzhou government ordered a suspension of construction across the city from Tuesday February 26, after the province escalated smog-alert to the most severe level on Monday February 25.