Cotton mills in two provinces in China have suspended output as part of measures to curb smog that has blanketed the north of the country in the past few days, triggering official pollution alerts, according to an industry website.

Mills have closed in Hebei province and parts of Shandong, according to a report by Cncotton.com, a government-backed trade website. The report didn't say how many mills are affected, nor give details on the amount of production involved.

The report said cotton processing in parts of Hebei, one of the nation's most polluted provinces, may be affected until the end of December.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom and Josephine Mason; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)