SHANGHAI, Mar 16 (SMM) - SMM data showed that China’s copper cathode output stood at 907,800 mt in February, up 6.4% from the previous month and 6.49% from the same period in 2022. The actual output was 8,500 mt higher than the expected 899,300 mt. Although a smelter carried out maintenance ahead of schedule in February, thanks to the ramp-up of new capacity and the resumption of three smelters, the actual output was higher than expected. Coupled with the production increase of some smelters after the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday. The output of copper cathode in February increased significantly both month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY), with average operating rate rising 5 percentage points MoM to 84.87%.