BHP Billiton said growth from China, its most important commodities customer, had “softened” during the three months ended September and warned “volatility and uncertainty” would continue in the short term.

The world’s biggest mining group delivered the downbeat assessment when issuing its quarterly production review which showed strong gains in petroleum, iron ore, manganese and coal, compared with the previous September quarter, but declines in aluminium, diamonds and stainless steel materials.