ALMATY: Kazakhstan’s refined copper output fell 0.7% on-year in January-March and refined zinc production was down 4.0%, while crude steel production jumped 8.2%, statistics bureau data showed on Monday.

London-listed copper miner KAZ Minerals and Glencore’s Kazzinc account for a large part of Kazakhstan’s metals production. ArcelorMittal owns the country’s only major steel mill. This year, the mill has been exploring new markets after a slump in demand from traditional buyers, the government said.