China's steel sector saw output expansion in the first quarter of the year, industrial data showed.

In the January-March period, crude steel output rose 6.1 percent year-on-year to 262 million tonnes, according to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

The output of pig iron rose 7.6 percent from a year earlier to 220 million tonnes during the period, the data showed.

The CISA data also showed that the output of rolled steel registered a year-on-year increase of 5.8 percent to 333 million tonnes.

In March alone, crude steel output rose by 6.9 percent to reach 95.73 million tonnes, with a daily output of more than 3.08 million tonnes, according to the CISA.

The output of pig iron gained 7.3 percent year-on-year to hit 78.07 million tonnes last month, while that of rolled steel reported a year-on-year increase of 8.1 percent, said the CISA.