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Home/Economy/Trade
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Economy · Trade

Trade

Exports, imports, the Freeport, commodity flows, and Liberia’s position in regional trade.

36 stories matched from the TrueRate newsroom.

CBL Statistical Data · Balance of Payments

Goods trade balance (LBR_BOP_1_4) with export and import flows. Quarterly series, million USD.

Trade Balance$-10.8M2025-10
Goods Exports$626.9M2025-10
Goods Imports$637.7M2025-10

Chart showing Liberia goods trade balance over 20 quarters. Most recent: $-10.8M.

Source: Central Bank of Liberia DataWarehousePro · Updated nightly

forex

From L$200 to L$184: How an 8% Currency Swing Is Reshaping Margins

The exchange rate fell 7.92% over the past year to L$183.93 per US dollar in March 2026, according to CBL data. For importers, the stronger currency means cheaper goods in local terms. For exporters and dollar-earners, it means thinner margins — a split that runs through every business that touches both currencies.

TrueRate · Jul 4, 2026

commodities

Gold Hit US$175 Million in March — Now Two-Thirds of All Exports

Gold exports reached US$175.13 million in March 2026, up 111.87% year-on-year, and now account for 66.52% of total monthly exports, according to CBL data. Combined with iron ore, two commodities make up 92.59% of export earnings — a level of concentration that turns a single global price move into a national-accounts event.

TrueRate · Jul 4, 2026

business

Fuel Costs Jump 12% in One Month — Headline Inflation Reads 0.6%

The imported fuel price index rose 12.38% in March 2026 to its highest level in two years while the headline consumer price index climbed just 0.62%, according to LISGIS. For keke operators, market traders, and delivery businesses, the gap between official inflation and daily operating costs is the widest it has been in at least two years.

TrueRate · Jul 4, 2026

business

Rubber Output Drops 47% as Smallholder Farmers Bear the Cost

Rubber production fell to 3,476 metric tons in March 2026, down from 6,527 in February and nearly 30% below year-ago levels, according to LISGIS. For smallholder farmers paid by volume, the decline translates directly to lost income in a sector that now accounts for less than 3% of national exports.

TrueRate · Jul 4, 2026

business

A US$314 Million Import Bill: What a Two-Year High Means for Small Retailers

Goods imports rose 47.26% to US$314.08 million in March 2026, the highest monthly total in at least two years, while the trade balance swung from a US$13.98 million surplus to a US$50.80 million deficit in a single month, according to CBL data. For small retailers, more supply entering the market does not always translate to wider margins.

TrueRate · Jul 4, 2026

policy

VAT Set to Replace GST in Biggest Tax Overhaul in Years

The Liberia Revenue Authority is steering the country's biggest indirect-tax overhaul in decades: replacing the single-rate Goods and Services Tax with a multi-stage Value Added Tax. With tax revenue at US$59.46 million in March 2026 — a month when one-off non-tax receipts swelled total revenue to US$304.37 million — the shift is as much about broadening the tax base as changing the rate.

TrueRate · Jun 23, 2026

technology

What a Liberian Open-World Game Says About the Future of African Digital Content

The global games industry generates US$184 billion a year. Virtually none of it comes from West Africa. HUIX-2099's Monrovia Hustle is a single data point, but it arrives at a moment when the economics of African-authored digital content are shifting.

TrueRate · Jun 20, 2026

business

Where the US$5.2 Billion Economy Really Comes From

Liberia's GDP reached US$5,159.74 million in 2025, up 8% in nominal terms. Services account for the largest share at 38.7% of real output, followed by agriculture at 28.7% and a mining sector that has nearly doubled its weight in four years.

TrueRate · Jun 19, 2026

business

Government Revenue Hits US$304 Million in March — What It Means for Businesses That Sell to the State

Total government revenue surged to US$304.37 million in March 2026, with tax receipts at US$59.46 million and total expenditure at US$136.57 million. For Liberian businesses that contract with government, the surge signals opportunity — but also the lumpiness that makes government a difficult customer.

TrueRate · Jun 14, 2026

business

Trade and Hospitality Sector Hits US$506 Million — Inside the Quiet Services Boom

Trade and hotels generated US$505.74 million in constant-price GDP in 2025, up 5.5% and now accounting for a third of all services output. With financial institutions growing 4%, construction up 6.05%, and transport expanding steadily, the services economy is the part of Liberia's growth story that most directly touches small business.

TrueRate · Jun 13, 2026

business

China Buys US$134 Million of Liberian Exports After Near-Zero in 2024

Exports to China surged to US$134.19 million in 2025 from just US$0.61 million the year before — a jump so large it reshaped Liberia's trade geography overnight. The recovery echoes the US$146.26 million China bought in 2014 at the peak of the last iron-ore cycle, and it signals that a major commodity channel has reopened.

TrueRate · Jun 11, 2026

analysis

A Two-Speed Economy: Minerals Race Ahead, Most People Don't

Mining surged past US$1 billion and gold and iron-ore exports boomed in 2025, while agriculture grew barely 1% and most Liberians work in sectors expanding far more slowly. The split defines who benefits from the country's growth.

TrueRate · Jun 6, 2026

business

Rubber Hits US$106 Million in GDP but Monthly Output Swings Wildly

Rubber contributed US$105.99 million in constant-price GDP in 2025, up 8% from US$98.14 million the year before. But monthly production tells a rougher story: output swung from 14,214 metric tons in June 2025 to 1,871 tons in September, and March 2026 came in at just 3,476 tons. The sector is growing in value while grappling with deep seasonality.

TrueRate · Jun 6, 2026

commodities

Cement Output Hits a Record as the Building Boom Rolls On

Cement output reached 89,000 metric tons in March 2026, a record in the monthly series and up 52.5% on the year, after rising for several straight months. The climb is a clear read on a building upturn.

TrueRate · May 30, 2026

commodities

Palm Oil Rebounds to US$173 Million After Volatile Years

Palm oil output was valued at about US$173 million in 2025, up nearly 8.8% on the year and well above its 2020 level, as a crop Liberia has long sought to scale shows signs of recovery. Smallholders and concessions both shape the outcome.

TrueRate · May 22, 2026

economy

Homegrown Steel Output More Than Doubles in a Year

Steel production rose to 4,267 metric tons in March 2026, up 162.3% from a year earlier, as a domestic industry geared to construction expands. The growth points to import substitution in building materials.

TrueRate · May 20, 2026

economy

Rice: The US$296 Million Staple With Outsized Political Weight

Rice output was valued at about US$296 million in 2025, down from US$350 million a year earlier, even as the grain remains the country's politically charged staple. Heavy import reliance keeps rice prices a perennial flashpoint.

TrueRate · May 17, 2026

economy

Moving People and Data Grows Into a US$257 Million Business

The transport and communications sector grew about 7.8% to US$257 million in 2025, lifted by mobile services, logistics and the movement of goods. Its steady expansion underpins commerce across an economy where moving goods is costly.

TrueRate · May 7, 2026

economy

A Building Boom Pushes Construction Past US$270 Million

Construction output reached US$270 million in 2025, up about 8.9% on the year and nearly double its 2020 level, as cement production hit records. The building boom is one of the clearest signs of domestic investment beyond the mines.

TrueRate · May 5, 2026

analysis

Imported Goods Hold Steady; It's Local Prices That Are Rising

Imported-item prices were essentially flat over the year to March 2026, up just 0.1%, while domestic prices rose 5.8%. The split overturns the usual story and points to home-grown costs, not imports, as the live inflation risk.

TrueRate · May 2, 2026

economy

Eating Out Gets 15% Pricier — the Fastest-Rising Cost of All

Prices for restaurants and hotels rose 14.8% in the year to March 2026, the fastest of any major category and a heavy one at 17% of the basket. The climb reflects rising food, labor and energy costs feeding through to prepared meals and lodging.

TrueRate · Apr 30, 2026

economy

Health-Care Costs Climb 6%, and Families Pay Out of Pocket

The health price index rose 6.1% in the year to March 2026, with a sharp mid-2025 spike, adding to the cost of care in a country where most medical spending is out of pocket. Health carries a 9% weight in the consumer basket.

TrueRate · Apr 22, 2026

economy

Public Debt Climbs to US$2.82 Billion as the Bill Mounts

Total government debt reached US$2.82 billion in December 2025, up 7.15% on the year, with external creditors holding nearly 58% of the stock. The rising burden narrows the fiscal room for a state already leaning on a handful of commodity exports.

TrueRate · Apr 5, 2026

commodities

Gold Overtakes Iron Ore as Liberia's Top Export Earner at US$175m

Gold exports reached US$175 million in March 2026, more than double a year earlier and well ahead of iron ore, as output climbed to nearly 38,000 ounces. The metal's rise has reshaped Liberia's export base and helped steady the currency.

TrueRate · Apr 2, 2026

commodities

Gold and Iron Ore Drive Mining Higher as Rubber Falls

Gold, diamond and cement output rose sharply in early 2026, with diamonds more than doubling year-on-year and cement up 52%, while rubber, cocoa and timber production fell. The split captures an economy where mining surges and traditional agriculture struggles.

TrueRate · Apr 2, 2026

forex

A Stronger Currency Eases Import Costs as the US Dollar Slips to L$184

The Liberian dollar closed March 2026 at L$183.93 per US dollar — about 8% stronger than a year earlier, supported by booming gold exports and steady remittances, though it has given back ground since the end of 2025. In a dual-currency, import-dependent economy, the rate shapes everything from fuel prices to inflation.

TrueRate · Apr 2, 2026

commodities

Iron-Ore Output Rebounds to 2.3 Million Tonnes in March

Iron-ore production reached 2.33 million metric tons in March 2026, far above the depressed level of a year earlier, while export earnings rose 47% to US$69 million. Volumes remain volatile and tied closely to global steel demand.

TrueRate · Apr 1, 2026

commodities

Exports Surge 58% to US$2.1 Billion, Powered by Gold

Total exports rose 57.9% to US$2.07 billion in 2025 on surging gold and iron-ore shipments, while imports climbed 55.4% to US$2.35 billion, widening the merchandise trade deficit to about US$281 million. The boom has reshaped Liberia's export base around gold.

TrueRate · Apr 1, 2026

analysis

Mining Output Tops US$1 Billion, Driving One-Fifth of Liberia's GDP

The value of mining and panning output rose 23% to over US$1 billion in 2025, about a fifth of GDP and the single biggest driver of last year's growth. The sector's rise brings export earnings and revenue — and a deepening concentration of the economy's fortunes.

TrueRate · Apr 1, 2026

economy

The Economy Grew 4.6% in 2025 — or 5.1%, Depending on Who's Counting

Liberia's economy expanded 4.6% in 2025, its strongest pace in three years, lifting GDP to US$5.16 billion as mining output jumped 23%. National statistics put growth half a point below the World Bank's 5.1% estimate — a reminder that headline numbers still depend on who is counting.

TrueRate · Apr 1, 2026

economy

Imports More Than Doubled in March, Exposing a Deep Dependence

Imports reached US$329 million in March 2026, more than double a year earlier, and totaled US$2.35 billion for 2025. The figures lay bare how dependent Liberia remains on foreign goods — from fuel and food to machinery — and the pressure that puts on the trade balance.

TrueRate · Mar 31, 2026

economy

Remittances Reach US$941m, the Backbone of Liberia's External Accounts

Inward transfers, largely remittances, totaled US$941 million in 2025 and US$225 million in the fourth quarter alone — the single largest inflow in Liberia's external accounts and the reason the current account stayed in surplus despite a wide trade deficit.

TrueRate · Mar 31, 2026

economy

Services Quietly Remain the Biggest Engine of the Economy

Services output reached US$2.01 billion in 2025, up about 7%, remaining the biggest part of Liberia's economy ahead of agriculture and mining. The sector's breadth — trade, transport, hospitality and government — makes it the quiet backbone of domestic activity.

TrueRate · Mar 30, 2026

commodities

Palm Oil Jumps, Diamonds Double, Cocoa Slumps in Liberia's March Commodity Mix

Liberia's smaller commodities diverged in March 2026: palm-oil export earnings rose to US$6.6 million, diamond output more than doubled, and cocoa production fell 62%. The mixed quarter highlights both the promise and the fragility of efforts to diversify beyond gold and iron ore.

TrueRate · Mar 29, 2026

economy

Agriculture Employs the Most People but Grew the Slowest

Agriculture and fisheries output reached US$1.40 billion in 2025, up just 1.3% in value, even as the sector remains the country's largest source of livelihoods. The gap between agriculture's employment and its growth is a defining feature of Liberia's uneven expansion.

TrueRate · Mar 29, 2026

economy

Cement and Beverages Push Manufacturing Up 9%

Manufacturing output rose to US$331 million in 2025, up about 9%, with cement and beverage production posting strong gains. Small as a share of GDP, the sector's growth points to expanding domestic industry that could ease reliance on imports.

TrueRate · Mar 28, 2026