Mining output expanded 5.8% in October, a solid monthly print for the sector. Sustained growth in mined volumes — ores, chrome, manganese and coal among them — feeds the global supply chains behind steel and ferro alloys. Momentum in mining output is usually an early indicator of easier raw material availability ahead, and it supports the smelters and mills who have spent much of the year managing tight, expensive input markets. The trend bears watching as a counterweight to supply-side price pressure.