Photo taken on May 16, 2018 shows an automatic container dock in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo: Xinhua/Wang Peike)

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's index of export container transport saw an overall increase in December, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange (SSE).

The average China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) climbed 3.2 percent month on month to 841.46 points last month, said the SSE.

In December, the sub-index for the Persian Gulf/Red Sea and European routes increased by 13.7 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively.

Bucking the upward trend, the Australia/New Zealand and West Africa routes saw their sub-index down by 4.6 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

In 2019, the index averaged 823.53, up from 817.8 points for 2018.

The CCFI tracks spot and contractual freight rates from Chinese container ports for 12 shipping routes across the globe, based on data from 20 international carriers.

The index was set at 1,000 on Jan. 1, 1998.