BEIJING, Nov. 7 -- China's production of non-ferrous metals maintained steady growth in the first three quarters of the year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Tuesday.

China's output of 10 kinds of non-ferrous metals was 55.02 million tonnes during the period, up 6.8 percent year on year.

The added value of the non-ferrous metal industry increased by 6.2 percent year on year, 2.2 percentage points higher than the industrial average growth rate.

China will accelerate the development and utilization of strategic resources, stabilize the supply and prices of key products, support the research and development of key materials, and ensure the steady growth of upstream and downstream industries, the ministry said.