Export container transport index surges

China’s container transport for export purposes gained momentum in January due to rising shipping demand ahead of the Spring Festival, according to data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange. The average China Export Containerized Freight Index stood at 856.43 points in January, up 0.8 percent from December 2018, the exchange said in a statement. The new figure was much higher than an average of 817.8 points last year. The exchange said shipping demand rose last month ahead of the Spring Festival, which fell on Feb 5 this year.