BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's container transport for export purposes lost steam in October as the traditional peak season neared its end, according to data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The average China Export Containerized Freight Index stood at 834.55 points in October, down 2.3 percent from a month earlier, the exchange said in a statement.

Since the beginning of this year, the index has averaged 810.48, lower than last year's average of 820.47.

In October, the sub-indices of most routes tracked by the exchange dropped to different extents, with the Mediterranean route dropping the most, by 6.8 percent.

The China Export Containerized Freight Index was first released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange in April 1998 as a barometer of the export shipping market.

China's exports rose 20.1 percent year-on-year in October, up from the 17-percent growth seen in September.