This newspaper reports. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) held a scheduled press conference for March, focusing on specific topics. At the conference, NDRC spokesperson Zhao Chenxin stated that the "Opinions on Resolving Excess Capacity and Achieving Restructuring and Development in the Iron and Steel Industry" and the "Opinions on Resolving Excess Capacity and Achieving Restructuring and Development in the Coal Industry" have already been issued. Moving forward, the NDRC, together with relevant departments and institutions, will further refine policy measures, ensure effective implementation of these measures, and strive to win the tough battle of resolving excess capacity.

Zhao Chenxin stated that the “Opinions on Resolving Excess Capacity and Achieving Restructuring and Development in the Iron and Steel Industry” emphasize focusing on promoting supply-side structural reform in the iron and steel sector. The document calls for the comprehensive use of market mechanisms, economic tools, and rule-of-law approaches, tailoring strategies to local conditions, adopting differentiated measures, and addressing both symptoms and root causes. It aims to actively and steadily resolve excess capacity, establish a long-term mechanism for market-based capacity adjustment, and promote structural optimization, turnaround and upgrading, as well as quality improvement and efficiency enhancement in the iron and steel industry. Building on the elimination of outdated iron and steel capacity in recent years, the document specifies that, starting from 2016, over a five-year period, an additional 100 million to 150 million tons of crude steel capacity will be reduced. This effort is expected to lead to substantive progress in industry mergers and reorganizations, optimize industrial structure, significantly improve resource utilization efficiency, bring capacity utilization rates closer to reasonable levels, markedly enhance product quality and the supply capacity of high-end products, improve enterprise economic performance, and generate a clearly positive market outlook.

The "Opinions" outline four key tasks: strictly prohibiting the addition of new production capacity; resolving excess capacity; enforcing stringent law enforcement and regulatory measures; and promoting industrial upgrading. To ensure the effective implementation of these tasks, the "Opinions" propose five supporting policies: strengthening financial incentives and subsidies; refining tax policies; increasing financial support; properly arranging employment for workers; and making better use of land resources.

Zhao Chenxin stated that the "Opinions on Resolving Excess Capacity and Achieving Revitalization and Development in the Coal Industry" emphasize adhering to market-driven approaches, giving enterprises the primary role, local governments taking the lead, and central government providing support. The policy calls for a comprehensive set of measures addressing both symptoms and root causes, tailoring solutions to local conditions and adopting differentiated strategies. It aims to actively and steadily resolve excess capacity while simultaneously promoting structural adjustments, transformation, and upgrading, thereby enabling the coal industry to turn losses into profits, overcome difficulties, upgrade its operations, and achieve healthy development. Building on the elimination of outdated coal production capacity in recent years, the policy specifies that, starting from 2016, an additional 500 million tons of capacity will be phased out over a period of three to five years, with an equivalent amount of capacity being reduced and reorganized.

The "Opinions" outline nine key tasks: strictly control the addition of new production capacity; accelerate the elimination of outdated and other capacities that do not comply with industrial policies; orderly phase out excess capacity; promote enterprise reform and restructuring; facilitate industry adjustment and transformation; rigorously address unsafe production practices; strictly limit overcapacity production; strictly crack down on illegal and non-compliant construction activities; and strictly restrict the use of low-quality coal. △ (Du Yanfei)