SHANGHAI — China’s coke production growth outpaced that of pig iron and crude steel in 2012, gaining 5.2 percent from the previous year to 443.23 million tonnes, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data.

Pig iron output rose 3.7 percent last year to 657.9 million tonnes, while crude steel production increased 3.1 percent to 716.54 million tonnes.

"The bigger increase seen in coke was due to steel mills expanding their compatible coke facilities. But as the growth of crude steel production slows in China, coke output expansion will inevitably slow down in 2013," an analyst in Beijing told AMM sister publication Steel First.

Coke output fell 2.3 percent in December vs. November to 36.1 million tonnes.

A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Steel First.