Monrovia – As President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and his administration put together for the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit scheduled for July 9–11, 2025 in Washington, D.C., a U.S.-based Liberian, Vita Ishmael Tue, is asking on the Liberian chief to make tariff elimination a high precedence throughout discussions with the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
Tue emphasised that President Boakai ought to use tariff aid as a strategic bargaining chip in any financial deal agreed upon between the 2 nations.
“President Boakai ought to demand that tariff elimination be paired with United States investments in Liberia’s vital and uncommon earth minerals,” Tue acknowledged.
“For instance, in alternate for entry to Liberia’s mineral deposits, the request for zero tariffs have to be the foremost demand. By linking cooperation on minerals or safety to tariff elimination and protections towards larger charges, President Boakai can safeguard Liberia’s nationwide pursuits. This needs to be framed as a win-win deal.”
President Boakai is one in every of 5 African presidents invited by President Trump to attend the high-level summit, which observers say comes at a vital second for Liberia’s financial trajectory.
Tue echoed this sentiment, stressing that the timing of the summit is pivotal. The summit coincides with the July 9 expiration of the suspension of reciprocal commerce tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. On July 6, 2025, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that international locations failing to have interaction in tariff negotiations would face elevated charges of as much as 25%, efficient August 1.
In accordance with Tue, this poses a critical risk to Liberia’s economic system, notably because the nation strives to develop commerce and enhance residing situations amid widespread poverty.
“The elimination of those tariffs is crucial to guard Liberian companies and fund the nation’s improvement priorities,” Tue stated.
The Trump administration’s reciprocal tariff coverage targets international locations with what it deems unfair commerce practices. Liberia at present faces a ten% baseline tariff, and a possible enhance may additional cripple its restricted export capability.
Tue pointed to World Financial institution knowledge indicating Liberia’s $4.8 billion economic system (as of 2024), with over half the inhabitants residing under the poverty line. He warned that larger tariffs would stifle progress, cut back commerce revenues, and undermine the implementation of President Boakai’s ARREST Agenda, which focuses on infrastructure, well being care, schooling, and poverty alleviation.
The Central Financial institution of Liberia’s 2023 report confirmed that Liberia exported US$57.1 million value of products to the U.S. Though comparatively small, Tue argues that the U.S. market holds monumental untapped potential for Liberia—particularly because the nation works to enhance the standard of its export merchandise.
“The present 10% tariff—and any additional enhance—would negatively have an effect on commerce with the U.S., decreasing Liberia’s export earnings and making it more durable to totally implement the nationwide improvement plan,” Tue famous.
“In easier phrases, decreased export revenues would stall President Boakai’s flagship agenda and harm the lives of atypical Liberians.”
Tue additionally highlighted the upcoming expiration of the African Progress and Alternative Act (AGOA) in September 2025, warning that Liberia’s export competitiveness would additional decline with out duty-free entry to U.S. markets.
He cautioned that Liberian-owned SMEs exporting agricultural items reminiscent of purple palm oil, cassava flour, dried pepper, and dried fish will likely be hardest hit by the tariffs.
“These tariffs increase prices, shrink revenue margins, and threaten the survival of small companies making an attempt to realize a foothold in worldwide markets,” he stated.
Tue, who has greater than twenty years of expertise throughout each non-public and public sectors in Liberia and the US, frequently writes on sustainable improvement, poverty, unemployment, social justice, and knowledge governance. He holds graduate levels in Economics, Public Administration, and Information Analytics from establishments in Uganda and the US.
He believes that lifting tariffs on Liberia poses minimal danger to the U.S., whereas providing a serious lifeline for Liberia’s economic system. He urged President Boakai to spotlight Liberia’s regional safety contributions and pure useful resource potential as leverage throughout negotiations.
Liberia hosts large-scale mineral operations together with ArcelorMittal’s Tokadeh mine (iron ore) and New Liberty Gold Mine, West Africa’s largest business gold operation. The nation additionally has lithium deposits, very important for battery manufacturing, and greater than 160 kimberlite diamond occurrences, with potential for bauxite, manganese, and phosphate, although a lot stays underexplored.
“Liberia brings vital worth to any bilateral cope with the U.S.,” Tue asserted.
“President Boakai ought to emphasize Liberia’s mineral wealth and its alignment with America’s technique to scale back dependency on Chinese language provide chains.”
He described the upcoming summit as a defining second for President Boakai and Liberia as an entire.
“With lower than a day to go, this summit is Liberia’s probability to form its financial future and set up itself as a trusted accomplice to the Trump administration in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Tue stated.
“By leveraging our mineral riches and historic ties with the U.S., President Boakai can safe tariff aid, enabling equitable commerce and funding that instantly profit the Liberian folks.”
He concluded by urging the Boakai administration to view the summit by way of the lens of nationwide empowerment and shared prosperity.
“President Boakai should act boldly to make sure that Liberia’s voice is heard and that our financial path is formed by equity, alternative, and self-reliance.”
