Hebei province, the country’s largest steelmaking province by output

Hebei province, the country’s largest steelmaking province by output, has introduced power rationing for a second time following the resumption of regular production during the National Day holidays (October 1-7), Sina reported on October 29.

Several steel mills in the city of Tangshan halted production completely on October 27 while all companies located in Langfang were ordered to cut their electricity use by half for the remaining two months of the year, according to the report. Steel mills in Tangshan are not expected to resume production until the beginning of next month, the report said. Small steelmakers really need to watch out, because China seems determined to make sure their days are numbered. But national crackdowns like this have come and gone before, and local officials always seem to find a way to get around them in the end.