US lawmakers’ package to avert stringent budget cuts and positive manufacturing data out of China gave equity markets a boost on the first day of 2013 trading, the FTSE 100 initially rising 80 points to 5,980 at the open.

Those gains were then extended as UK-listed miners led the rally, the index standing up 2% at 6,016 by mid-morning as better than expected UK manufacturing data also helped bolster sentiment.

That represented the FTSE’s highest level since the 6,084 reached on 8 July 2011.

Resources companies Evraz, Eurasian, Rio Tinto and Vedanta all rose by between 5% and 6%, with Barclays also among the biggest risers with a 4% gain to 273p.

News of the fiscal cliff deal in the US had earlier prompted strong gains in overnight markets despite warnings the agreement provided only a temporary respite.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 2.9% to 23,312, with Japan’s Nikkei up 0.7% to 10,395. Anticipation of such a deal had helped the S&P 500 post a 1.7% gain to 1,426 on New Year’s Eve.