Freight rates to ship coal from northern China’s Qinhuangdao Port to Zhangjiagang, Shanghai and Guangzhou began to rise slightly in the week ended July 15, ending a 11-week downtrend, Qinhuangdao Port authorities said Tuesday.

The freight rates from Qinhuangdao to Zhangjiagang in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province for 20,000-30,000 mt capacity vessels stood at Yuan 24.30/mt ($3.91/mt) on July 15, up Yuan 0.50/mt from a week ago, the port said.

The rate from Qinhuangdao to Guangzhou in southern China for 50,000-60,000 mt vessels also edged up Yuan 0.20/mt week on week to Yuan 29.60/mt on July 15.

However, the rate on the Qinhuangdao-Shanghai route for vessels with a capacity of 40,000-50,000 mt remained unchanged week on week at Yuan 20.0/mt on July 15.

Meanwhile, coal stocks at Qinhuangdao Port stood at 7.35 million mt on July 15, up from 7.15 million mt a week ago, port figures show.