The higher production can be attributed to steel output cuts for environmental reasons in northern China being reduced this year.
However, Tangshan, the steelmaking hub in China's Hebei province, has increased production cuts at local blast furnaces this month in response to central government criticism of its ineffective winter emissions controls. Most market sources believe China's crude steel output is expected to fall in March, as a result of the tighter measures.
Meanwhile, China's pig iron output reached 126.59 million mt over January-February, up 9.8% on year.
