China's Jan-Feb metals output rise on year -stats bureau

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's base metals output rose quickly in the first two months of this year, government data showed on Thursday, as the country's smelters ramped up production driven by rising prices.

Aluminium output posted a significant year-on-year growth of 15.6 percent to 5.49 million tonnes for January-February, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

Copper output rose 6.7 percent to 1.37 million tonnes for January-February. Zinc output rose 4.4 percent to 982,000 tonnes, and lead output rose 7.4 percent to 837,000 tonnes.

Production of the steelmaking raw material iron ore surged 15.3 percent in the first two months to 184.16 million tonnes from a year ago as steelmakers in the world's top producer of the metal raised output.

(Reporting by Ruby Lian and Josephine Mason; Editing by Tom Hogue)