SHANGHAI, March 15 -- China's coastal bulk freight index fell 7.4 percent month on month in February, 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 961.66, according to the SSE.

During this period, the sub-index for grain logged the most notable month-on-month decrease of 15.6 percent, followed by that for coal and metal ore.

The sub-index for crude oil edged up 0.1 percent from the previous month, while the figure for refined oil 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.