Steel output

THE country’s daily steel output hit a record high in September, as mills in the world’s top producer rushed to cash in on strong profit margins before the start of winter production curbs aimed at tackling smog.

Crude steel production reached 80.85 million tons last month, up from August’s 80.33 million tons and well above 71.83 million tons in September last year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. September’s average daily output rose 4 percent from August to 2.7 million tons, the highest level on record, according to calculations based on official data.

Aluminum output

THE country’s primary aluminum production fell for a second straight month in September and slid to its lowest level since May, as weaker aluminum prices and higher input costs led smelters to cut back output.

The world’s top aluminum producer churned out 2.79 million tons of the metal last month, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. That was down 1.8 percent from 2.84 million tons in August, but up 7.1 percent from a year ago. On a daily basis, China produced around 93,000 tons of primary aluminum last month, according to calculations based on the data.

Refinery output

THE country’s refinery throughput hit a record daily high in September as some independent plants restarted operations after prolonged shutdowns over summer to shore up inventories amid better fuel demand and robust margins, data showed.

China’s crude oil throughout rose to 12.49 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, up from 11.85 million bpd in August, according to calculations based on official data.