Ecuador's shrimp producers are blaming a perfect storm of factors including the discovery of COVID-19 on outer packaging housing their products for a massive slump in exports to China in July.
They also cite cuts in production by producers sparked by rock bottom prices, a readjustment in the market amid the the coronavirus pandemic, and fallout from a press conference by Chinese authorities, which sowed a seed in the public's mind linking Ecuadorian shrimp with COVID-19.