Steel Works' Downsizing Brings EfficiencyThe reform to improve efficiency through downsizing in China's steel sector has shown good results in a number of iron and steel companies.Seventy large and medium-sized key iron and steel works now have a per-capita annual steel output of 122.8 tons, according to the State Administration of Metallurgical Industry. The number of workers for production in these companies has been reduced by 25 percent since 1996. However, the per-capita steel output is still much lower than the world's average. Figures show that in 1996, the average per- capita annual steel output in steel-producing countries and regions reached 182 tons, and in some developed countries, the figure was above 500 tons. Wu Xichun, chairman of the China Steel Industry Association, said that improving efficiency remains an important task for the steel sector in the 21st century. "The current restructuring and China's forthcoming entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) has made it ever more urgent than before," Wu said. |
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