SHANGHAI, Jul 26 (SMM) – China’s central authorities have required 11 provinces and cities to step up efforts to clamp down on foundry capacity expansion, in a bid to further 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 about banning foundry capacity addition across Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and nearby regions, the Fenwei plain and the Yangtze River Delta.

Local governments are also ordered to strictly check capacity swap plans, ensure the shutdown of obsolete facilities and standard construction of new facilities.