An Ecuadorian government decision to lift price controls on diesel fuel will raise production costs by around $0.16 (€0.15) a pound, putting already vulnerable producers at risk amid the current low price situation, according to shrimp producers' trade body Camara Nacional de Aquacultura (CNA).

The move was part of a pledge Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso made to cease subsidizing fuel to industrial groups, including shrimp, the country's second-largest export sector. Instead, Lasso has pledged to put the funds toward social programs, particularly those aimed at indigenous groups.