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The growth slowed from the 27 percent in the first nine months and the 28.2 percent in the first eight months, in line with slowing economic growth. The statistics agency said profitability in oil and gas exploration and production, chemicals manufacturing, ferrous metal mining and non-ferrous metal processing sector were particularly strong. However, the petroleum refinery, coking and nuclear fuel processing sector reported a fall of 89.8 percent in profits in the first ten months. , the agency said. Profits of electricity generation and heating firms also fell 3.5 percent in the same period, it said.