BEIJING: China’s refined copper production in March rose 7.9% from the prior year to around 1.15 million metric tons, data from the country’s National Bureau of Statistics showed.

On a daily basis, average copper output stood at 37,000 tons, according to Reuters calculations based on the official data.

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The average daily output equalled to that for the first two months of this year, despite top smelters on March 13 agreeing to cut production at some loss-making plants amid shortages of copper ore and concentrate.