Central China’s Hubei province aims to restrict its crude steel capacity to within 40 million tonnes/year by the end of 2020, according to the provincial 2016-2020 industry development plan. Official data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows last year Hubei produced 29.48 million tonnes of crude steel, an increase of 0.1% year-on-year, Kallanish notes.

Hubei's plan also says steel industry concentration should increase from the current 60% to 85%, while cultivating three major steelmakers with annual revenues of CNY 30 billion ($436.1m). The three firms chosen to lead the province's steelmakers are Echeng Iron & Steel, CITIC Group subsidiary Hubei Xinyegang Steel and the privately-owned Hubei Jinshenglan Metallurgical Techonology.

Hubei’s highest crude steel output was in 2014 when output hit 30.56mt. In 2016 it cut 8.14m t/y of combined steel capacity. The provincial plans do not include Wuhan Iron and Steel, which is a centrally-state owned enterprise.