[Photo: Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo]

SHANGHAI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- China's coastal bulk freight index went down 4.3 percent month on month in June, 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 960.49, according to the SSE.

In this period, the sub-index for grain logged the most notable decrease of 9.6 percent, followed by that for coal and metal ore, according to the data.

The sub-index for refined oil fell 1.7 percent over the previous month, while that for crude oil remained flat month on month.

In 2022, the composite index for coastal bulk freight averaged 1,124.52, SSE data showed.

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.

Source: Xinhua