Shipping companies have registered a record $150 billion in profits with prices rising nearly 10 times while small business owners claim that the major container lines are exploiting their monopolistic positions to charge exorbitant fares. In 2021, the spot rate for a 40-foot container from Asia to the United States was priced at over $20,000 as the global economy came out of the pandemic and demand spiked with the oncoming holiday season, based on data from Bloomberg. The current price is around $14,000, which is far above the typical $2,000 shipping companies used to charge not so long back. Corporations like Walmart, Amazon, and Ikea have the leverage to negotiate better rates with the cargo lines. However, smaller producers and traders are left bearing the brunt of price hikes. They cannot pass along costs to their customers leaving finances stretched in the face of a market that’s already been disrupted …