Estrategias competitivas para mejorar las exportaciones del sector atunero ecuatoriano hacia el mercado estadounidense en el 2024.

Abstract

The tuna industry has been considered one of the main pillars of the fishing sector. In addition, it generates foreign currency and sources of employment, employing 20,000 direct workers and approximately 120,000 indirect workers, being recognized for offering quality and sustainable products, which distinguishes it within the fishing sector. However, it faces great challenges, particularly in exports to the US market. Among the main obstacles are the high tariffs imposed by this market, which range between 12.5% and 35%, this causes the price of tuna rises and as a consequence loses competitiveness, added to this is the lack of laws or trade agreements that benefit Ecuadorian tuna. Due to the aforementioned, the objective is to develop competitive strategies to improve exports from the Ecuadorian tuna sector to the US market in 2024. It is essential to address this problem, given that facilitating access to this market can improve the Ecuadorian economy, generate more employment and strengthen bilateral trade relations. The theoretical methods used in the research are: historical-logical, analytical-synthetic, inductive-deductive, abstraction-concretion, modeling, and systemic. Empirical methods include the study of classic documents and expert judgment. In this research, it was determined through the criteria of five experts that competitive strategies are theoretically viable to improve exports from the Ecuadorian tuna sector to the US market in 2024. The main recommendations of this research are that companies consider acquiring certifications such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance and that Ecuador continue promoting the approval of the IDEA Law, given that its implementation represents an opportunity for tuna products to enter the US market free of duty.