[Ferro-Alloys.com] China's major steel mills saw their average daily output of crude steel rise 24.38 percent year-on-year in mid-February, according to data from the China Iron and Steel Association.

Major steel producers churned out 22.82 million tons of crude steel in mid-February.

Daily production of pig iron jumped nearly 17 percent from a year ago during the period, while that of rolled steel surged 25.3 percent year-on-year.

The sharp increase in daily output was mainly due to a low comparison base and rising domestic demand, the association said.

China's Tianjin Port saw iron ore imports rise about 60 percent year-on-year to around 57.06 million tons last year, the Tianjin Customs said Monday.

The sustained growth in iron ore imports has been attributed to the huge demand for raw materials from the country's steel industry which gained momentum as a result of China's effective epidemic control in 2020.

The iron ore imports via private enterprises doubled to 17.59 million tons in the period, while that via State-owned enterprises surged 50 percent to 27 million tons.

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