China's production volume of 10 major non-ferrous metals reached 10.12 million tons in the last year, surpassing that of the United States and ranking first in the world, industry sources said on Wednesday.
The non-ferrous metal industry is strongly correlated to national economic growth, and of China's 124 industrial sectors, 113 use non-ferrous metals in production, said Kang Yi, director of the China Non-ferrous Metal Industry Association, at the annual session of the association.
In 1949, China's production of non-ferrous metals was merely 13,300 tons, and in 1978, it stood at 1 million. The figure exceeded 2 million 10 years later and has increased by 1 million tons annually since 1994, according to Kang.
(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2003)
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