BEIJING — China’s export of aluminum products grew at a steady pace in the first quarter this year, official data showed.

Aluminum product export amounted to 1.28 million tons in the first three months, up 13.1 percent from the same period last year, according to a report from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The growth rate was 7.4 percentage points lower than in the same period last year, the MIIT said.

By the end of March, the country’s total export of aluminum products reached $3.5 billion, up 3.9 percent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, unit export prices of aluminum products saw an 8.1-percent year-on-year decline in the period, the ministry added.

Total output of China’s 10 major non-ferrous metals reached 13.7 million tons in Q1, up 6.3 percent year-on-year, 3.9 percentage points faster than Q1 2018, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.