Ansteel posted a 1.56 billion yuan loss in the first half of this year, compared with 5.98 billion yuan profits in the same period a year before, down 126.14 percent, citing falling prices and oversupplies in domestic and overseas markets triggered by the global economic downturn. It produced 9.27 million tons of pig iron, up 14.34 percent; 9.10 million tons of steel, up 11.18 percent; 8.52 million tons of steel products, up 10.78 percent; and sold 8.30 million tons of steel products, up 8.17 percent. The ratio of production to sales stood at 97.45 percent.