BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China's container transport for export purposes slightly contracted for the week ending Friday, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The average China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) stood at 813.37, down 0.9 percent from a week earlier, the exchange said.

The sub-index for West/East Africa route saw the strongest rally of 9.5 percent week on week, while that for the Persian Gulf/Red Sea route led the fall by dropping 3.9 percent.

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.