Small factories in northern China count the cost of Beijing’s war on pollution

Workshops in Shijiazhuang, Hebei were told to halt production in November to help curb smog over winter – but machinery still lies idle at some

One factory manager puts losses at US$298,000 and says he’s had to lay off dozens of workers at his foundry

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Dominated by heavy industry, Hebei province surrounds Beijing and has been blamed for the serious smog problems in the capital. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 8:00am, 7 Apr 2019Updated: 10:07pm, 7 Apr 2019

On a sunny day in March, a factory manager stood outside his small foundry at an industrial park in northern China. Surveying his 2 million yuan (US$298,000) dust collection equipment lying idle, the 54-year-old, surnamed Zhang, was downcast.

“I just don’t get it,” said Zhang, who did not want to give his full name. “If we’re not allowed to produce, why [make us] invest in these facilities?”

Zhang’s is one of hundreds of small factories in Yuanshi county, on the outskirts of Shijiazhuang in Hebei, that were ordered to halt production in November to help reduce air pollution over winter. They had been hoping to get back to work last month. But although many of the workshops have been fitted with equipment like dust collectors to curb emissions, Zhang said they were told by county officials the ban would continue, to keep pollution down while environmental inspectors were in town.

Early last month, Zhang and other producers in Yuanshi received a text message from a county official saying: “Right now we have four inspection teams from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the provincial government carrying out inspections in our county. All businesses must pay attention [to controlling emissions].”

Zhang spent US$298,000 on dust collection equipment to reduce emissions at his foundry. Photo: Echo Xie

With most factories closed because of the production ban, the industrial park was almost deserted when the South China Morning Post visited in March. At a metal casting plant run by Naili, which makes air compressors, half a dozen workers were having a long lunch under a makeshift tent. They said they had not worked normal hours for months, while others were staying home until they were told to return to work.