China's steel output, enterprises poised for growth in second quarter

China's steel production is forecast to maintain steady growth in the second quarter of this year, and so will the performance of steel enterprises, primarily because of growing demand, an official of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) said.

Qu Xiuli, deputy head of the CISA, said the growth of both steel production and steel enterprises is due to the fact the second quarter is peak demand season, with steel imports and exports estimated to show a small increase during that period.

According to a recent report released by the CISA for the first quarter of this year, China's pig iron production reached 195 million metric tons, up 9.29 percent on a year-on-year basis. Crude steel production rose 9.92 percent year-on-year to 231 million tons, while rolled steel output vaulted 10.82 percent year-on-year to 269 million tons.