China's demand for steel products may top 520 million tonnes in 2010, an official with China Metallurgical Industrial Planning and Research Institute (CMIPRI) predicted on Monday.

Li Xinchuang, vice president of the CMIPRI, said this year the domestic steel products demand would increase by around 10 percent and the country could meet most of its various steel product types needs.

China's home-made steel products occupied 95.8 percent of the domestic market in 2007, he said, adding that the country's iron and steel industry is also facing some difficulties this year including the domestic shortage of coal, electricity and water resources, the rising price of iron ore, and the weak capacity of the industry's research and development.

China is accelerating the pace at which it eliminates outdated and low-end iron and steel production capacity. The country vowed last month to continue eliminating outdated production facilities this year, including facilities with 6 million tonnes of steel and14 million tonnes of iron.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2008)