China plans to cut the total number of steelmakers to about 100 by the end of 2015, state media reported quoting officials at the 2011 China Steel Planning Forum held in Beijing.

By the end of 2015, China’s top 10 steelmakers will represent 60% of the national steel output, up from the current 48%.

The planned 100 or so regional steelmakers will be located across the country, with larger provinces housing four to seven steelmakers and smaller ones housing one to two, the reports said.

Also, most steelmakers will be relocated outside urban areas by the end of 2015. In 2009, urban steelmakers produced 228Mt of crude steel, 39.5% of the total output of large and medium-sized steelmakers.

Currently 59 large and medium-sized steelmakers, out of 76, are located in urban areas.

Only last July (2010), China introduced regulations to cut the number of domestic steelmakers from about 800 to around 200 in the next few years.