The daily crude steel output stood at 1.93 million tonnes in early January, according to the China Iron and Steel Association.

This year, Inner Mongolia will also step up the clean and efficient use of coal, Wang said.

Its output growth rates over the past two years far exceeded that of the three leading coal-producing regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia.

Exports would recover slowly because of the global economic downturn, according to the newspaper.

Northeast China's Heilongjiang province saw its foreign trade in goods grow by 33 percent year-on-year to 265.15 billion yuan ($39.44 billion) in 2022, customs data showed.

The total amount of investment will be US$125 million.

Power consumption data can reflect situations of enterprises' production and economic operation, and thus become a key barometer of economic activity, experts said.

The commission is a statutory authority formed in 2020 to curb the growing air pollution in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas.