exterior finish for exterior furniture in the southeast..North Carolina

Not sure if this would work in your situation, but what I do is use regular paint(indoor or outdoor) and then spray it with a couple coats of varithane spray. It gives a good shine and it is very durable.

-- Remember, measure twice, cut once

Any good quality primer and paint you’d use for your house (soffits, facia, window trim) will work. Outdoors, wood is especially vulnerable to UV rays (breaks down the lignin material, and rots the wood), so anything with a pigment in it will protect the furniture from the elements.

-- Gerry

I agree with Gerrym526 but I would add check with your local paint store. Paint manufacturers adjust their paint for each region of the country. In Calif. they adjust for sun, in Washington for rain, and so on. A good primer and a gloss exterior paint should do the job.
I would definitely stay away from coating with a clear coat product, it will only dull, crack, and peel in a couple of years of sun. Even marine spar varnish needs to be sanded and re-coated every two or three years.

-- Les B, Oregon