China's coastal bulk freight index flat in March

SHANGHAI, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China's coastal bulk freight index remained flat month on month in March 2024, data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange (SSE) showed.

Last month, the composite index for coastal bulk freight, which measures transportation costs in the coastal shipping market, stood at 961.23, according to the SSE.

During this period, the sub-index for grain logged the most notable month-on-month increase of 2.9 percent, followed by that for crude oil and coal.

Bucking the trend, the sub-index for refined oil fell 1.1 percent from the previous month, while the figure for metal ore dipped by 0.9 percent monthly.

The SSE initiated the index in 2001, under the guidance of the Ministry of Transport, to fully reflect fluctuations in the Chinese coastal transport market.