How Much Do Shipping Lines Really Decide What You Pay for Furniture?

Let’s get one thing straight: when you fork out for a garden table or a plush outdoor sofa, you’re not just paying for materials and craftsmanship. A surprisingly large chunk of that price goes to a handful of global shipping giants—powerful, monopolistic entities that hold international trade in their iron grip.

But how exactly do these shipping firms influence the price of your furniture? Brace yourself—it’s not a pretty picture.

Remember the pandemic-era shipping chaos? When freight rates from China to Europe shot up from a reasonable £1,500–£2,500 per container to an eye-watering £15,000–£20,000? Officially, this was blamed on ‘high demand’ and ‘supply chain disruptions.’

But was that the full story? Not quite. Shipping lines deliberately reduced capacity, cancelling scheduled routes (known as ‘blank sailings’), creating artificial scarcity, and pushing up prices. Retailers either had to absorb these monstrous costs or pass them straight onto you, the customer.

The global container shipping industry is an oligopoly dominated by just seven firms: MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, and Evergreen. Between them, they control over 77% of the world’s container traffic.

That much power in so few hands is never good for competition—or consumers. These firms don’t just charge what they like; they control the very infrastructure that dictates global shipping costs. The fewer sailings they offer, the higher the prices soar. It’s a neat little system… for them.

Lately, shipping giants have been leaning on new environmental regulations to justify keeping prices high. The International Maritime Organization’s 2023 (IMO 2023) regulations were introduced to reduce the shipping industry’s carbon footprint by limiting emissions and requiring cleaner, more expensive fuels. While sustainability is important, it’s worth asking—do these new regulations truly justify the ongoing sky-high freight rates?

Let’s not forget: these same companies reported record profits during the height of the supply chain crisis. In 2022 alone, Maersk banked a staggering $29.3 billion in profit—more than Apple, Microsoft, or Amazon made that year. If sustainability is so cripplingly expensive, why aren’t those billions being reinvested into greener, more efficient shipping solutions?

Independent furniture retailers already operate on tight margins. When shipping costs double, triple, or even quadruple, many simply can’t survive. In 2023, UK retail insolvencies surged, with small businesses taking the brunt.

Even for those who managed to stay afloat, higher costs inevitably found their way into the final price tag. That’s why, despite supply chains supposedly ‘recovering,’ furniture prices haven’t fallen nearly as much as they should have. The damage was done, and the shipping giants had cemented their grip on global trade.

Regulators have been sluggish to step in, but there are glimmers of hope. The European Union recently removed the Container Shipping Antitrust Exemption in 2024, meaning these shipping alliances should now face greater scrutiny. But is it too little, too late?

As a consumer, you do have some power:

• Support independent retailers who are upfront about their costs. Companies like MINT OUTDOOR, for example, actively work around these shipping giants by streamlining their logistics and keeping their supply chains lean.
• Question the pricing narrative. When you hear “supply chain issues,” ask yourself: are shipping rates still high, or are we just being conditioned to accept inflated prices?
• Push for stronger regulation. Governments must ensure that supply chain disruptions don’t become an excuse for ongoing price manipulation.

Next time you see a pricey teak garden set, ask yourself: is it the material, the craftsmanship, or the fact that a handful of global shipping firms have quietly rewritten the rules of trade in their favour? Until genuine competition and regulation return, outdoor furniture prices will remain at the mercy of these shipping behemoths.

And if you think that’s bad—just wait until you hear about the real story behind ‘luxury’ outdoor furniture pricing…