China's non-ferrous metal output grows 5.2 pct

China's production of 10 major non-ferrous metals expanded 5.2 percent year-on-year to 18.64 million tonnes in the first four months of the year, according to an industry group.

The pace of growth slowed from a rise of 6.3 percent registered in the January-March period, according to data from the China Non-ferrous Metals Industry Association.

The 10 major non-ferrous metals are copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, nickel, tin, antimony, mercury, magnesium and titanium.

Production of electrolytic aluminum, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total output, climbed 4.1 percent from one year earlier to 11.48 million tonnes for January-April.

The output of copper and lead rose 7.3 percent and 18.6 percent to 2.98 million tonnes and 1.92 million tonnes for January-April.

In April alone, the combined output of the 10 metals increased 4.9 percent from one year earlier to 4.74 million tonnes.