Published: 16 Mar 2010 21:29:53 PST

BEIJING, March 17 - China has raised mining quotas for tungsten, antimony and rare earth this year to meet demand from its robust economy.

China, the world's top producer of the three metals, widely used in heavy and light industries, also extended a policy started last year to suspend the approval process for exploration and mining of new antimony, tungsten and rare earth until the end of June 2011, a circular posted on the website of the Ministry of Land and Resources showed.

The government set a mining limit for tungsten concentrate at 80,000 tonnes, up from 68,555 tonnes last year. Mining of antimony is limited to 100,000 tonnes from last year's 90,180 tonnes and rare earth oxides at 89,200 tonnes, up from 82,320 tonnes.