Índice de Financiamiento de las Exportaciones del Camarón Ecuatoriano en Tiempo de Crisis

The general objective of the research was to analyze the financing index of Ecuadorian shrimp exports in times of crisis, during the period 2017 - 2022. The methodology used was based on a quantitative and qualitative study, with a descriptive scope and nonexperimental design. in order to identify the main factors that affected its financing index, without intervening in the variables. In the study, 45 companies selected for convenience participated, due to the contact with their representatives; three experts were also interviewed. The results of the study indicated that the shrimp sector in Ecuador faced challenges for the financing of its production, such as limited access to financing (66.7%), lack of guarantees (35.6%) and operational risks (26.7%). ). External financing was the main resource used by companies (55.6%), followed by internal financing (15.6%) and a combination of both (28.9%). The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the shrimp industry, resulting in liquidity problems, reduced production costs and monetary losses, affecting the solvency and operations of the industry. It is concluded that companies have used leverage strategies to overcome the effects of the crisis, but external support is required to maintain liquidity.