BEIJING (Commodity Online) : China's crude steel output increased by an estimated 13.8% year on year to 569 million tons in 2009, said country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
In a report issued here, the ministry however said country's steel exports plunged 58.5% from the previous year.
Country’s steel industry realized profits of 143.3 billion yuan in the first 11 months of last year, the ministry said.
The country's major steel mills earned a combined profit of 44.8 billion yuan in the period, 67% less than in the same period of 2008, said the ministry.
Meanwhile China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) said country’s crude steel output was 16.72 million tons in the first ten days of January.
In its latest report issued here, CISA said seventy-six major steel firms surveyed by the association produced 13.21 million tons of crude steel in the period.
The average daily crude steel output of these firms increased by 3,800 tons or 0.29% from late December.
