ANTAIKE: China’s refined nickel output in July fell 13.4% month on month as top smelter Jinchuan Group carried out an overhaul on a furnace, state-backed research house Antaike said on Wednesday.

Nickel cathode output was 12,353 tonnes, down 16.4% year on year, Antaike said, with Jinchuan accounting for 11,000 tonnes of the total.

January-July output fell 15.7% to 91,723 tonnes.

As Gansu-based Jinchuan’s production returns to normal this month, China’s August refined nickel output is seen recovering to 14,000 tonnes, Antaike said.

Meanwhile, July production of stainless steel raw material nickel pig iron (NPI) was 40,500 tonnes on a metal content basis, up 5.6% month on month but down 7.7% from a year earlier, the research house said.