The Yangtze dry bulk index reached 803.47 in August, up 0.76 per cent over the previous month. Coal and metal ore were the commodities most responsible for the slight increase. A recent rise in coal imports has had an impact on coal shipping prices, with the August coal index reaching 666.94, up 1.02 per cent over July. The August metal ore index stood at 844.47, up 1.26 per cent.

Demand for container shipping increased in August. However, the return to operations of some of the suspended capacity of major barge operators has had an even greater impact on shipping prices, with the result that the Yangtze container index fell 0.31 to 922.53 in August. The index for the upper reaches declined by 0.65 per cent to 947.01, while the indices for both the middle and lower reaches remained the same as in July, at 894.61 and 908.46 respectively.