China’s total crude steel output in January to February period was 154.70mn mt, up by 3.42pc from a year ago, and the daily output was 2.75mn mt, up by 1.35pc, according to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Pig iron output increased by 3.1pc to 132.33mn mt from a year ago with a cumulative daily output of 2.20mn mt, up by 1.34pc in the Jan-Feb period.
China’s aluminium product output in Jan and Feb 2020 fell by 12.5pc to 5.90mn mt from the prior-year period. Output of aluminium alloys in the period was 1.02mn mt, down from 1.21mn mt in Jan-Feb 2019. Output of electrolyzed aluminium in the period was 5.84mn mt, up 2.4pc from 5.68mn mt in the prior year.
Refined copper output in the period was 1.52mn mt, up by 2.8pc, while copper product output was 2.11mn mt, down by 8.3pc from the prior year period. The dip in production of copper was due to COVID-19 outbreak which impacted demand for copper. Hubei province is struggling with the stockpiling of sulphuric acid which is a by-product of copper smelting.
China’s lead production dropped by 10.3pc in January and February to 722,000mt from 923,000mt in the prior year period, while zinc production was 1.04mn mt, up by 12.9pc.