China demand drives global mining output

The world's largest mining company, BHP Billiton, boosted metal production to record levels this year on the back of Chinese demand, the Financial Times reported. The company's latest figures showed record production levels for iron ore, aluminium, copper, nickel and natural gas. The report comes as China, which is leading world demand for commodities, announced economic growth of 11.3% last quarter, the strongest rate of growth in a decade. One area of particularly strong growth was iron ore. Strong production levels are counterbalanced by increased market volatility and worries over whether miners can meet timetables in the face of strong demand from China and around the world.