The Baltic Exchange"s dry bulk sea freight index fell to its lowest level in a month, as rates declined across all its vessel segments, with capesizes touching their lowest in six months. * The overall index (.BADI), which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, dropped 167 points, or 6.3%, to 2,498, its lowest since Nov. 18. * The capesize index (.BACI) lost 378 points, or 11.6%, to its lowest since June at 2,894. * Average daily earnings for capesizes, which transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, decreased by $3,134 to $24,003. * "Although still fetching relatively healthy levels, the big ships take a massive beating prior Christmas – following a pattern seen so many years before," shipbroker Fearnleys said in a weekly note dated Wednesday, in reference to capesizes. * Chinese steelmaking raw materials futures advanced, with coking coal up 5%, fuelled by hopes of recovering steel production after stringent curbs in the first 11 months of the year. * The panamax index (.BPNI) shed 118 points, or 4.3%, to its lowest in almost three weeks at 2,626. * Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which carry 60,000-70,000 tonne coal or grain cargoes, decreased by $1,063 to $23,630. * The supramax index (.BSIS) fell 28 points to 2,514, its lowest level in over a week. Reporting by Kavya Guduru in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.