BEIJING — China's major steel mills saw their average daily output of crude steel rise 24.38 percent year-on-year in mid-February, according to data from the China Iron and Steel Association.

Major steel producers churned out 22.82 million metric tons of crude steel in mid-February.

Daily production of pig iron jumped nearly 17 percent from a year ago during the period, while that of rolled steel surged 25.3 percent year-on-year.

The sharp increase in daily output was mainly due to a low comparison base and rising domestic demand, the association said.