RESTRICTED
WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4
24 March 2015
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Working Party on the Accession of Liberia   
 
 ACCESSION OF LIBERIA 
DRAFT REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY 
ON THE ACCESSION OF LIBERIA  
_______________ 
  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 5  
DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED ........................................................................................... 5  
INTRODUCTORY ST ATEMENTS ......................................................................................... 5  
II. ECONOMIC POLICIES .............................................................................................. 8  
- Monetary and fiscal policy ....................................................................................... 8  
- Foreign exchange and payments ............................................................................. 9  
- Investment regime ................................................................................................ 10  
- State ownership, privatization and state-trading entities ..................................... 15  
- Pricing poli cies ...................................................................................................... 17  
- Competition policy ................................................................................................ 17  
III. FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING AND ENFORCING PO LICIES ........................................ 18  
- Powers of Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches of Government ................ 18  
- Government entities responsible fo r making and implementing policies 
affecting foreign trade;  Right of Appeal ................................................................ 20  
- Division of authority between cent ral and sub-centra l governments .................... 22  
IV. POLICIES AFFECTING TRADE IN GOODS ............................................................... 22  
- Registration requirements for import/e xport operations; Trading rights .............. 22  
A. IMPORT REGU LATIONS ......................................................................................... 26  
- Ordinary custom s duties ....................................................................................... 26  
- Customs ta riff ....................................................................................................... 26  
- Other duties an d charge s ...................................................................................... 28  
- Tariff rate quotas, ta riff exempt ions ..................................................................... 28  
- Fees and charges for se rvices rendered ................................................................ 30  
- Application of internal  taxes to imports ................................................................ 32  
- Quantitative import restrictions, including prohibitions, quotas and 
licensing sy stems .................................................................................................. 33  
- Customs valuation ................................................................................................. 38  
- Rules of or igin ....................................................................................................... 40  
- Other customs fo rmalities ..................................................................................... 40  
- Preshipment inspection ......................................................................................... 45  
- Anti-dumping, countervailing du ties, safeguar d regimes ...................................... 48  
B. EXPORT REGU LATIONS ......................................................................................... 50  
- Customs tariffs, fees and charges for services rendered, application of 
internal taxes to exports ....................................................................................... 50  
- Export restrictions ................................................................................................ 50  
- Export subs idies .................................................................................................... 52  
C. INTERNAL POLICIES AFFECTING FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS ............................... 53  
- Industrial policy, in cluding subs idies .................................................................... 53  
- Technical barriers to trade, st andards and cert ification ........................................ 54  
- Sanitary and phytosani tary meas ures ................................................................... 57  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  - Trade-related investment measures ...................................................................... 64  
- Free zones, special economic areas ....................................................................... 65  
- Government pr ocurement ..................................................................................... 67  
- Transit ................................................................................................................... 67  
- Agricultural policies .............................................................................................. 68  
(a) Import s ................................................................................................................. 68  
(b) Exports .................................................................................................................. 70  
(c) Internal po licies .................................................................................................... 70  
V. TRADE-RELATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REGIME ............................................. 70  
- GENERAL ............................................................................................................... 70  
- Industrial property protection ............................................................................... 71  
- Responsible agencies for policy fo rmulation and implementation ......................... 71  
- Participation in international inte llectual property  agreements ............................ 72  
- Application of national and MFN treatment to foreign nationals ............................ 73  
- Fees and taxes ...................................................................................................... 73  
- SUBSTANTIVE STANDARDS OF PROTECTION, INCLUDING PROCEDURES 
FOR THE ACQUISITION AND MAINTENA NCE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
RIGHTS ................................................................................................................. 73  
- Copyright and rela ted rights ................................................................................. 73  
- Trademarks, includin g service marks .................................................................... 75  
- Geographical indications, including appellations of origin ..................................... 75  
- Industrial designs ................................................................................................. 76  
- Patents .................................................................................................................. 76  
- Plant variety protection ......................................................................................... 77  
- Layout designs of inte grated circuits .................................................................... 77  
- Requirements on undisclosed informatio n, including trade secrets and test 
data ....................................................................................................................... 77  
- MEASURES TO CONTROL ABUSE OF IN TELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ................ 78  
- ENFORCEMENT ...................................................................................................... 78  
- Civil judicial procedur es and reme dies .................................................................. 78  
- Provisional measures ............................................................................................ 79  
- Administrative procedur es and reme dies .............................................................. 79  
- Special border measures ....................................................................................... 79  
- Criminal proc edures  .............................................................................................. 80  
VI. POLICIES AFFECTING TR ADE IN SERVICES ........................................................... 80  
VII.  TRANSPARENCY .................................................................................................... 82  
- Publication of information on trade ....................................................................... 82  
- Notifications .......................................................................................................... 84  
VIII.  TRADE AGREEMENTS ............................................................................................. 84  
CONCLUSI ONS ............................................................................................................... 84  
ANNEX 1 ....................................................................................................................... . 86 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  ANNEX 2 ....................................................................................................................... . 87 
ANNEX 3 ....................................................................................................................... . 88 
ANNEX 4 ....................................................................................................................... . 89 
ANNEX 5 ....................................................................................................................... . 91 
ANNEX 6 ....................................................................................................................... . 92 
ANNEX 7 ....................................................................................................................... . 94 
ANNEX 8 ....................................................................................................................... . 95 
ANNEX 9 ....................................................................................................................... . 96 
ANNEX 10.......................................................................................................................  97 
ANNEX 11.......................................................................................................................  98 
ANNEX 12( A) ................................................................................................................. 9 9 
ANNEX 12( B) ............................................................................................................... 100  
ANNEX 12( C) ............................................................................................................... 106  
ANNEX 12( D) ............................................................................................................... 112  
ANNEX 12(E) ................................................................................................................ 115  
ANNEX 12(F) ................................................................................................................ 119  
ANNEX 13..................................................................................................................... 1 21 
ANNEX 14..................................................................................................................... 1 22 
ANNEX 15..................................................................................................................... 1 23 
ANNEX 16..................................................................................................................... 1 24 
ANNEX 17..................................................................................................................... 1 25 
ANNEX 18..................................................................................................................... 1 26 
ANNEX 19..................................................................................................................... 1 27 
ANNEX 20..................................................................................................................... 1 28 
ANNEX 21..................................................................................................................... 1 29 
APPENDIX .................................................................................................................... 1 30 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  I. INTRODUCTION  
1. The Government of the Republic of Liberia applied for accession to the World Trade 
Organization in June 2007.  At its meeting on 18 December 2007, the General Council established 
a Working Party to examine the application of the Government of Liberia to accede to the World 
Trade Organization (WTO) under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the 
WTO.  The terms of reference and the membership of the Working Party are reproduced in 
document WT/ACC/LBR/2/Rev.6. 
2. The Working Party met on 11 July 2012, [XXX], and [XXX] under the Chairmanship 
of H.E. Mr. Joakim Reiter (Sweden).   
DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED 
3. The Working Party had before it, to serve as  a basis for its discussions, a Memorandum 
on the Foreign Trade Regime of Liberia (WT/ACC/ LBR/3), the questions submitted by Members on 
the foreign trade regime of Liberia, together with the replies thereto, and other information 
provided by the authorities of Liberia (WT/ ACC/LBR/4; WT/ACC/LBR/ 5;  WT/ACC/LBR/6;  
WT/ACC/LBR/7 and Addendum 1; WT/ACC/LBR/8 and Addendum 1; WT/ACC/LBR/9; 
WT/ACC/LBR/10; WT/ACC/LBR/11; WT/ACC/LBR/ 12;  WT/ACC/LBR/13; WT/ACC/LBR/14 and 
[XXX]), including the legislative texts and other documentation listed in  Annex 1 to this Report.    
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS 
4. The representative of Liberia said that desp ite the political upheavals and civil war (1980-
2003) that destroyed Liberia's economy and brought a steep decline in living standards for its population, Liberia was once again on the road to economic recovery.  An elected government 
under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirl eaf had been sworn into office in January 2006, 
and set about to implement numerous reforms to re -activate the economy, to re-introduce Liberia 
into the international community and economy, and to help Liberia re-integrate into global value 
chains.  Since 2006, Liberia had shown a strong commitment to implementing the sound reforms 
and maintaining the macroeconomic stability necessary for accelerated and sustainable economic 
growth.  Liberia was a small open economy based on natural resource development, and it was 
recognized that future growth and ability to reduce poverty lied in increasing Liberian trade with 
the rest of the world.  Liberia needed investme nt capital and upgraded technology, so it was 
critical that economic policies focus on attracting investors while trying to stimulate the 
development of local business.  
5. The three-year "Lift Liberia" Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), introduced in 2008, had 
articulated the Government's overall vision and major strategies for moving toward rapid, inclusive 
and sustainable growth and development based on efforts in four keys areas: Consolidating Peace 
and Security; Revitalizing the Economy; Strengthening Governance and the Rule of Law; and 
Rehabilitating Infrastructure and Providing Basic Services.  Key elements and sub-strategies WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  included controlling corruption, creating conditions conducive to human and business 
development, and foreign direct investment, improving land rights and access, and completing the development of a WTO-based trade policy.  For example, the PRS Strategy for Economic 
Revitalization had promoted measures to restore major commodity exports such as rubber, timber, 
iron-ore mining, and other cash crops.  In the case of rubber and cash crops, the World Bank had 
approved a Tree Crop Rehabilitation Project for small scale farmers involved in rubber as well as 
other cash crops.  And, under an agreement with the Government of Liberia, Buchanan 
Renewables had assisted farmers to cut down old ru bber trees and replant.  In the case of timber, 
efforts such as dredging of the ports of Buchanan  and Greenville would make it possible to resume 
the export of timber.   
6. The representative of Liberia added that during the "Lift Liberia" PRS, in 2008-2011, nearly 
2,500 kilometers of paved and laterite roads had been reconstructed or rehabilitated; electrical 
generation capacity had increased from practically zero to 23 megawatt (MW); 48 kilometers of 
power transmission and distribution lines had been constructed or renewed; and implementation 
had begun on the regional West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) cross-border electrification project. 
To revive traditional economic sectors, Liberia ha d attracted leading global firms that had begun to 
reinvest in forestry, rubber, and mining. As a re sult, exports had increased from US$175 million in 
2006 to US$295.2 million in 2011. Liberia had attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) in several 
non-traditional sectors including petroleum, oil palm, hotels, finance, industry, and infrastructure.   
7. However, these investments were not sufficie nt to diversify the Li berian economy, nor 
create enough jobs. Therefore, the Government had prioritized to achieve a stable macroeconomic 
environment, which was necessary for growth. It had worked out a plan to establish a competitive 
business environment in Liberia through the reform of the Tax and Investment Codes, and had 
streamlined business registration processes. Further, it had moved toward multi-year financial 
planning and cash-based balanced budget.  Efforts had been focused on improving governance, 
strengthening justice, and restoring confidence in the rule of law.  During the PRS period, the 
Government had created the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), the Public Procurement 
and Concession Commission (PPCC), and the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency 
Initiative (LEITI). To make government institutions more transparent and capable, the 
Government of Liberia had set a Civil Service Reform Strategy, which had rationalized the 
functions and mandates of ministries and agencies.  
8. He added that, although the "Lift Liberia" PRS had made great strides toward recovery, it, 
however, had not meet all of its goals due to the country's institutional and human capacity 
deficits. Hence, the Agenda for Transformation (AFT) had been introduced in 2012.  The AFT was a 
five-year development strategy which followed "L ift Liberia" PRS while placing greater focus on 
interventions to target the most pressing problems. The AFT was not supposed to deliver 
transformation by the end of five years but rather  was the first step toward achieving the goals set 
out in "Liberia Rising 2030" (Liberia's long-t erm vision of socio-economic transformation 
and development).  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  9. The representative of Liberia also informed that currently, the country's main imports were 
food and live animals, machinery and transpor t equipment, manufactured goods and petroleum 
products.  In 2013, Liberia's total merchandise trade (on an FOB basis) had grown by 15.4% 
to US$1,754.6 million, from US$1,520.8 million recorded in 2012; exports and imports had 
accounted for 31.0% and 69.0%, respectively; raising from 29.2% and 70.8% in 2012, 
respectively.  Total merchandise export receipts had risen by 22.3% to US$543.7 million in 2013, 
from US$444.4 million earned in 2012, largely on account of a 180% rise in iron ore export 
receipts (to US$327.8 million in 2013, from US$117 million in 2012).  The significant rise in iron 
ore export earnings in 2013 had been driven mainly  by increased domestic production and export 
volumes, despite the declining global price pattern of the commodity in this year.  Iron ore and 
rubber accounted for 82.5% of total export earnings in 2013, as compared to 66.2% in 2012 and 67.6% in 2011. 
10. Liberia's application to join the WTO was an important step toward re-engaging the 
multilateral trade policy community after many ye ars of disruption.  Liberia looked forward to 
participating in the forum most responsible for establishing and policing the rules for international 
trade.  In view of the Guidelines established by the WTO General Council on LDCs and Accession 
(WT/L/508 and Add.1), and bearing in mind Liberi a's status as an LDC, the representative of 
Liberia called on Members of the Working Party to expedite and be flexible in the negotiations to 
establish Liberia's WTO commitments and to extend special and differential treatment as foreseen 
in the provisions of the WTO Agreements regarding LDCs.  Technical assistance and/or transition periods were needed to implement some WTO commitments.  In this regard, Liberia sought 
support in the areas of Fees and charges for services rendered, Pre-shipment Inspection, Customs 
tariffs, fees and charges for services rendered, appl ication of internal taxes to exports, Technical 
Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Me asures, Trade-related investment measures, and 
Trade-Related Intellectual Property Regime. 
11. Members of the WTO welcomed Liberia's applicat ion to join the Organization, appreciating 
the efforts already undertaken by Liberia to achi eve compliance with WTO rules and principles and 
to provide market access offers and comprehensive documentation on its trade regime at an early 
stage of the process.  Members noted that, althou gh further work was needed, it was clear that 
Liberia would benefit from the WTO accession process, and from the full implementation of WTO 
provisions and market access commitments that would create a good economic climate for investment, growth, and development.  In this regard, Members pledged to work constructively 
with Liberia.  Some Members indicated that they  had, and would, continue to offer technical 
assistance to facilitate Liberia's accession.  Members looked forward to Liberia's early accession on 
appropriate terms.  Some Members referred to Liberia's current status as a least-developed 
country, and in keeping with the guidelines on LDCs' accessions, would consider this a relevant 
factor in establishing Liberia's terms of accession.   
12. The Working Party reviewed the economic policies and foreign trade regime of Liberia and 
the possible terms of a draft Protocol of Accession  to the WTO.  The views expressed by Members WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  of the Working Party on the various aspects of Liberia's foreign trade regime, and on the terms 
and conditions of Liberia's accession to the WTO, are summarized below in paragraphs 13 to 323. 
II. ECONOMIC POLICIES 
- Monetary and fiscal policy 
13. The representative of Liberia said that his country operated a dual currency arrangement, 
where both US and Liberian dollars were accepted as legal tender.  Currently, US dollars still 
comprised a significant portion of the "official" broad money supply, not counting US dollar 
currency in circulation outside the banks, which was not measured.  Despite ongoing efforts to 
encourage use of the Liberian dollar, most larg e public and private sector transactions were 
conducted in US dollars with significant amounts of savings at commercial banks held 
in US dollars.   
14. The supply of US dollars came primarily from exports, remittances, and inflows of foreign 
assistance; the demand for US dollars was determined mostly by the demand for imports.  
The supply of Liberian dollars arose mostly from government payments of salaries and for goods 
and services.  The net demand for Liberian dollars was primarily for tax payments and as a 
medium of exchange in smaller denominations.  The demand for money (both US dollars and 
Liberian dollars) had been expanding rapidly in the post-crisis era, and there had been concern 
regarding the ability of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to control inflation. 
15. The conduct of monetary policy in Liberia was generally geared towards containing 
exchange rate fluctuations and ensuring low inflation.  A weekly foreign exchange auction was the key mechanism used by the CBL to affect domestic monetary conditions.  In 2009, the CBL had 
intensified its intervention in the foreign exchange  market, to ease the pressure on the exchange 
rate of the Liberian dollar. The CBL had interven ed in the foreign exchange market through the 
weekly foreign exchange auctions to smoothe n excessive exchange rate fluctuations.  
In May 2013, to broaden the policy instruments available to the CBL for monetary policy 
management, the CBL had first introduced the Treasury bill (T-bill), to manage excess liquidity of 
US dollars in the economy.  Since then, the T-bills had been conducted every month. 
The introduction of T-bills by the CBL kept inflation to low single digits through a stable 
Liberian-US dollar exchange rate. The net foreign reserves position of the Central Bank of Liberia 
(CBL) at end-December 2013 had been US$262.73 million, compared with US$238.97 million at 
the end of 2012.  
16. Liberian monetary authorities had been severely limited in their ability to conduct an 
independent monetary policy with respect to the Libe rian dollar.  This was due, first and foremost, 
to the dual currency arrangement and the predomin ance of the US dollar over which it had no 
control. In addition, there was no open market for government securities since those previously 
issued had been discredited and no new securities had been issued more recently.  The only policy WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  instrument that could be used to influence prices was the exchange rate, and Liberia lacked the 
reserves to materially affect it through that market. 
17. Liberia's fiscal stability had depended heavily on domestic and international trade for its 
revenue, with customs and excise taxes accounting for 49% of the total in fiscal year of 
2006/2007, 36% in 2009/2010 and, 30% in 2013/2014. In this period, Liberia had made a strong 
commitment to enhancing revenue collection efficiency as well as broadening the tax base.  
This had contributed to rise in revenues with some decline during the economic crisis 
in 2008-2009.  Reform measures had included stronger enforcement of customs administration, 
use of pre-shipment inspection of imports, reduction of the Customs User Fee, strengthening tax 
collections from large taxpayers, eliminating th e settlement of tax liabilities through non-cash 
payments, and reducing tax and duty exemptions on imports of rice and petroleum products.  
Other measures included more consistent implementation of the revenue code, expansion of 
automated tax administration, improved auditing resulting from comparing different sources of 
taxpayer information, and taxpayer education. 
- Foreign exchange and payments  
18. The representative of Liberia informed that the Liberian dollar exchange rate had come 
under enormous pressure during most of 2009, due mainly to the global financial crisis, 
depreciating to L$72.44/US$1.00 at end-September, from L$64.93/US$1.00 at end-January 2009. 
The weakening of the Liberian dollar against the US currency could be generally ascribed to the 
slowdown in the rate of workers' remittances, declines in export earnings, and higher market demand for US dollars. The Central Bank of Li beria (CBL) had been taking steps to ease the 
volatility in the exchange rate by intensifying its intervention in the foreign exchange market 
through increased sale of US dollars to the market. As a result, the Liberian dollar had regained 
almost all of the value lost in 2009, strengthening it from L$72.44 to around L$67 per US dollar as 
of December 2009. The average exchange rate between the Liberian and the US dollars had 
depreciated by 1.8%, to L$73.51/US$1.00 in 2012, compared with L$72.23/US$1.00 for 2011 as a 
result of rising demand for foreign exchange duri ng the year, caused by higher growth in business 
activity.  The current Liberian dollar exchange rate was L$85 per US dollar.  
19. The depreciation of the exchange rate had co ntributed to an elevated inflation since 2009, 
although inflation had dropped to the single-digit  range in 2013 (7%), from a high double digit for 
most of 2008.  Inflation had remained relatively low, compared with the average of prevailing in 
other countries in West Africa.  The government of Liberia continued to study the option of moving 
to a complete US dollar standard at the same time efforts were being made to decrease the 
importance of US dollars in the economy relative to Liberian dollars. The choice made would have 
an important influence on Liberia's competitivene ss in the global, and even regional, economy.   
20. Liberia's current account deficit continued to increase.  The deficit, which had stood at 
below 10.0% of GDP in 2005, had risen sharply to 20.5% of GDP in 2007.  The increase in the 
deficit had derived exclusively from the trade deficit, which continued to grow as a result of the WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  larger share of imports in the economy.  For similar reasons, the current account deficit 
had increased further in 2008.  On the other hand, Liberia's capital account deficit had started to improve since 2005 with the re-emergence of private investment and foreign 
direct investment (FDI).  The current account deficit had risen by 13.2% to US$1,288.00 million 
for the end of 2013, from US$1,137. 3 million for the end of 2012. Th is had been due to a 5.6% 
deterioration in the trade deficit to US$667.3 million in 2013 from US$632.00 million in 2012. 
The widening period in the trade deficit in 2013 had been on account of a 12.5% 
(US$134.5 million) rise in import payments that  had outpaced a 22.3% (US$99.3 million) growth 
in export receipts recorded in 2013.  The 38% decl ine in current transfers, resulting mainly from 
an 89.3% fall in workers' remittances, had also contributed to the deterioration in the current 
account deficit.  The current account deficit as a percentage of GDP had averaged 65.2% in 2013, compared to 65.5% and 64.7% in 2012 and 2011, respectively.  
21. Liberia had successfully implemented two Sta ff-Monitored Programmes of the International 
Monetary Fund (IMF) under which it had made significant improvements in public finances and in 
monetary and exchange rate polices, paving the way to full restoration of normalized relations with 
the IMF in March 2008.  The Government had also made strong initial progress in dealing with its 
debt situation. It had formulated and begun implementation of a comprehensive domestic debt 
resolution strategy, had cleared its long-standing arrears to the World Bank, the African 
Development Bank, and the IMF, had signed a ne w three-year agreement with the IMF, and had 
reached the Decision Point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries' (HIPC) Initiative.  In 2009, the bilateral relations between the CBL and international institutions had continued to grow in 
strength with mutual commitment towards the ac hievement of the goal of the 2009 Programme 
agreed with the IMF.  In this spirit, the IMF had completed the third appraisal of Liberia's 
performance in the implementation of its Econ omic and Financial Programme supported by the 
Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF).  Regular transmission of the country's Monetary 
Survey to the IMF was carried out, consistent with the agreement with the IMF under the PRGF 
programme. Currently, as a result the implem entation of the Heavily Indebted Poor 
Countries (HIPC) initiative, Liberia maintained a cash-based balanced budget, with significantly 
increased government revenue; it had moved toward multi-year financial planning and 
achieved US$4.9 billion of cumulative debt relief.  
- Investment regime 22. The representative of Liberia said that Liberia's investment environment was liberal, and 
his Government actively sought both domestic and foreign investment in order to promote 
economic development, and placed great importan ce on transparency, fairness, and equality of 
treatment for all investors.  The recent reform of  the investment regime, i.e., the enactment of the 
Investment Act of 2010, had been intended to establish consistency with international best 
practice as a necessary tool for attracting sustainable domestic and foreign investment, for 
reconstructing and enhancing the economy of Liberia and for creating a viable market-based 
economy to encourage private enterprises through a transparent, equitable and non-discriminatory WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  legal framework for investment.  The Investment Act of 2010, which had repealed the Investment 
Incentives Act of 1973 and the National Investment Commission Act of 1979, covered direct and indirect investment and portfolio investment.  It sought to rationalize, standardize and ensure 
transparency in the award of investment incentives by consolidating fiscal incentives in the Liberia 
Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, and developing a coordinated institutional capacity 
involving all relevant government agencies for the administration of such incentives.
1  
The Government of Liberia acted as a regulator of investment rules.   
23. The Investment Act of 2010 provided that all investors must incorporate and/or register a 
business organization in accordance with Title 5 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised of 1977 
("Associations Law") or such other laws as were relevant to the establishment of the enterprise.   
With the exceptions described below, the Investment Act of 2010 confirmed that foreign investors might own or control, totally or in partnership with Liberians, business organizations in any sector 
of the economy, based on national treatment in terms of licenses or permits, accounting 
standards, insurance requirements and taxation , among other requirements.  Foreign investors 
had access on equal terms to the protection of Libe rian law, including right of appeal; the right to 
hold bank accounts; subject to payment of taxes and other legal requirements, the right to dispose 
of proceeds; and the right to repatriate capital, make payments abroad, and remit proceeds upon 
sale of the investment.  Liberia required major investors to fund social services and infrastructure 
projects including schools, clinics, and roads, as part of their concession agreements. 
24. However, in line with Liberia's development agenda, both under the Poverty Reduction 
Strategy and its successor policy, i.e. Agenda fo r Transformation, and Vision 2030, the Investment 
Act of 2010 reserved specific businesses for Liberians or required Liberian participation in 
ownership.   Ownership of the following business ac tivities was reserved exclusively for Liberians:  
− Supply of sand; 
− Block making; 
− Peddling; 
− Travel agencies; 
− Retail sale of rice and cement; 
− Ice making and sale of ice; 
− Tire repair shops; 
− Auto repair shops with investments of less than US$50,000; 
− Shoe repair shops; 
− Retail sale of timber and planks; 
− Operation of gas stations; 
− Video clubs; 
− Operation of taxis; 
− Importation or sale of second-hand or used clothing; 
− Distribution in Liberia of locally manufactured products; and, 
− Importation and sale of used cars (except authorized dealerships which may deal in certified 
used vehicles of their make). 
25. In addition, direct investment in enterprises in the following sectors was also reserved for 
Liberians, unless: (i) the foreign investor was the exclusive owner and the total capital invested 
                                               
1 An enterprise shall be entitled to such fiscal in centives as are applicable  under the Liberia Revenue 
Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011 and such non-fiscal incentives as are applicable in relevant legislation. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  was not less than US$500,000; and, (ii) the foreign investor was in partnership with Liberians and 
the aggregated shareholding of the Liberians was at least 25%, and the total capital invested was not less than US$300,000, in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Investment Act of 2010:  
− Production and supply of stone and granite; 
− Ice cream manufacturing; 
− Commercial printing; 
− Advertising agencies, graphics and commercial artists; 
− Cinemas; 
− Production of poultry and poultry products; 
− Operation of water purification or bottling plant (excluding the production and sale of water 
in sachets); 
− Entertainment centres not connected with a hotel establishment; 
− Sale of animal and poultry feed; 
− Operation of heavy duty trucks; 
− Bakeries; and, 
− Sale of pharmaceuticals. 
26. Finally, in an effort to encourage foreign invest ors to hire locally, Section 75 of Title 18 of 
the Liberian Code of Laws Revised of 1966 ("Labour Law"), stipulated that except for 
administrative, supervisory, or technical position, it was unlawful to hire an alien employee unless 
the list of qualified Liberians had been exhauste d or there was no qualified person on the list 
capable of performing the job to be filled.  If an employer reported to the Minister of Labour that 
he could find no Liberian employee capable of doin g a specific job, the Minister, or his/her deputy 
appointed for that purpose, granted a special perm it according to the employer to the right to 
engage the service of an alien(s) to be named in  the permit, designating the class of work he/she 
would be required to perform. No alien employee could be employed at a rate different from that 
paid to a Liberian citizen in similar position who had equal competence or length of service. 
27. The Investment Act of 2010 protected investor s from nationalization or expropriation 
unless the expropriation was in the national interest for a public purpose, was the least 
burdensome available means to satisfy that overriding public purpose, and was made on a non-
discriminatory basis, in accordance with due proce ss of law.  In the event of expropriation, an 
investor had the right to: (i) payment of fair and adequate compensation and, (ii) access to the 
domestic courts for determination of the investor's interest or right and the amount of 
compensation to which he/she was entitled, which compensation should be fair market value. 
Investors also had the right to repatriate capital, profits and dividends. 
28. The National Investment Commission (hereinafter in this Section: Commission) regulated 
direct investment in Liberia. It promoted the development of foreign direct investment in all 
sectors of the economy of Liberia other than thos e reserved to domestic investors.  With the 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) and other relevant Government of Liberia institutions, 
the Commission stimulated the domestic private sectors by encouraging and fostering support for 
domestic entrepreneurs.  The Commission was a key player in evaluating and awarding 
concessions and other development rights to raw materials developers in Liberia.  According to the 
Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, it also conducted the economic evaluation of 
the business plan of enterprises seeking governme nt support, making its recommendations to the WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Minister for certification of the investment for this purpose.  The Commission recommended the 
scope of the exemptions from domestic taxes and import duties, to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning which would then certify the eligible enterprises.  The Commission also 
recommended the types of goods and quantities  proposed for exemption and the investor's 
proposed importation schedule.   
29. The representative of Liberia informed that his country currently had bilateral investment 
treaties (BITs) with three countries: France, Germany and Switzerland.  More information about 
the BITs was contained in Annex 2 to this Report. 
30. Current areas where Liberia was seeking to attract investment were in the extractive 
industries (particularly iron ore, but also diamon ds under the Kimberly Process) with emphasis on 
energy, mining, and oil exploration; and agriculture (mostly rubber and oil palm) with extensive replanting of rubber trees and general rehabilita tion and expansion of tree crop plantations.  
The lifting of UN timber sanctions in 2006 and sign ing of the forestry chain-of-custody agreement 
in December 2007 had opened the way to expand export of timber products. 
31. Although its domestic market of roughly four million people was relatively small, the 
intensified efforts to rebuild the post-conflict economy from scratch had provided many foreign 
investment opportunities in the agriculture, services and manufacturing sectors.  Currently, 
Liberia's export sector relied heavily on its extractive industries, like iron ore and rubber.  Iron ore 
represented an increasing large proportion of exports as multibillion dollar investments from 
Arcelor Mittal, China Union and BHP Billiton started and expanded production.  In September 2011, Arcelor Mittal had made Liberia's first export shipment of iron ore in 25 years. The main export 
destinations for Liberia included China, the European Union, and the United States. Liberia had 
also attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) in several non-traditional sectors, including 
petroleum, and oil palm. The information on the annual FDI in Liberia is contained in Annex 3 to 
this Report.  
32. Investment incentives were provided for new investment activities in Chapter 1, 
Subchapter A, section 16 (On Special Investment Incentives) of Part One of the Liberia Revenue 
Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011.  Enterprises certified by the Commission as eligible for the 
special investment incentives were eligible for exemptions from Goods and Services Tax (GST).  
The representative of Liberia informed that although, currently, Liberia applied the GST, 
it intended to eventually transform to the valu e-added tax (VAT), at which time, the investment 
incentives would also apply to VAT. He added that, the enterprises eligible for the special 
investment incentives were also eligible for exemptions from import duties on specified products 
for a period of five years from the commencemen t of investment (15 years if the investment 
exceeded US$1,000,000).  To be eligible, the enterprises had to be new investments and operated 
in the following areas:  (i) tourism carried out through tourist resorts, hotels and cultural sites; (ii) 
manufacturing of finished products having at least 30% local raw material content; (iii) energy; 
(iv) hospitals and medical clinics; (v) low and medium income housing; (vi) transportation 
infrastructure, including ports; (vii) information and communication technology; (viii) banking in WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  the areas lacking financial services; (ix) poultry; (x) horticulture; (xi) exportation of sea products; 
(xii) agricultural food-crop cultivation and processing, including cocoa and coffee; (xiii) small- and medium-scale rubber and oil-palm cultivation and processing; (xiv) manufacturing or assembly of 
finished products for export, provided that at le ast 70% of production was exported from Liberia 
within any 12-month period; and (xv) waste management.  In addition, with respect to 
establishing hospitals and health clinics, the capital invested should be at least US$100, 000.   
Additional tax incentives covered construction of new hotels, new factories that used local raw 
materials, investments that created a certain number of new jobs, and to locating in "economically 
deprived" areas of Liberia.  
33. These incentives were separate from and could not be combined with other tax incentives 
for investment provided for in section 204(d) of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, that allowed firms engaged in manufacturing, services, agricultural processing (not already 
in Industrial Free Zones), or providing tourist facilities or establishing a corporate headquarters in 
Liberia to deduct an aggregate of up to 30% of  the purchase price of equipment and machinery 
from their taxable income in the year the equipment was placed in service.   
34. Members expressed concern that foreign investors could wholly own, or in partnership with 
Liberians, control business organizations in any sector of the economy of Liberia apart from a 
number of business activities which were reserved exclusively for Liberians, as described in 
paragraph [24] of this Report.  They asked the representative of Liberia to explain the 
justifications for reserving those businesses to Liberians and whether Liberia planned to open 
ownership to foreign investors.  Specifically, with respect to travel agencies, Members asked, in 
light of Liberia's hopes to rapidly develop the to urism sector, whether the Government of Liberia 
considered that foreign investment in travel agencies could contribute to the development of the 
sector.  They also expressed concerns with regard to requirements to the total capital invested and 
the aggregate shareholding of the Liberians, as described in paragraph [25] of this Report. 
35. In response, the representative of Liberia sa id that the Government of Liberia was aware 
of the non-discrimination principle in Article III of the GATT 1994 and had this issue under 
consideration.  Liberia's overall development agenda, under the former Poverty Reduction 
Strategy, Agenda for Transformation, and Vision 2030, included the development of its domestic 
private sector as well as the growth and developm ent of a vibrant middle class.  In an effort to 
facilitate this goal, the Government of Liberia had reserved specific businesses with a relative ease of entry and very low capital investment requirement strategically for Liberians.  The Government 
of Liberia would monitor and evaluate its strategy with regard to its effectiveness prior to opening 
these sectors to foreign investors.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  36. The representative of Liberia added that the growth and development of the tourism sector 
would include the growth of travel agencies, as de scribed in paragraph [310] of this Report, which 
currently were limited to Liberians.  The Govern ment of Liberia envisaged that Liberian owned 
travel agencies could be instrumental without direct foreign interventions.  
37. With respect to the investment incentives, special tax incentives and additional tax 
incentives, Members asked the representative of Liberia to clarify whether these measures applied 
to foreign and domestic investors equally.  The representative of Liberia responded that these 
incentives did not apply equally to foreign and domestic businesses.  Investment incentives were 
based on several criteria, including ownership, industry and amounts invested.  The Government 
of Liberia acknowledged that the current regime was not in compliance with the WTO Agreements 
and was working on addressing the deficiencies. 
- State ownership, privatizatio n and state-trading entities 
38. The representative of Liberia said that many of Liberia's public services and export-
oriented enterprises were state-owned and played a significant role in the economy, especially 
since the end of the civil war.  Liberia had 19 state-owned enterprises (SOEs), as well as 
regulatory agencies, some of which only existed statutorily but were no longer functional.  
The heads of SOEs were appointed by the President.  The legislative acts that created these SOEs 
mandated whether or not Senate confirmation was needed.  He added that, the history of SOEs in 
Liberia was characterized by a high level of corruption and mismanagement that was slowly being 
addressed.  Liberia's Public Finance Management Act of 2009 set out rules governing the management and operations of the SOEs.  The law also defined the mandate and scope of an SOE, 
as a commercial enterprise or any other organizati on established by law, in which government had 
controlling shares.  The Bureau of State Enterprise (BSE) was a parastatal organization responsible 
for SOE financial and management oversight but it lacked the government's budgetary support 
needed to be effective.   
39. The Government's strategy for restructuring SOEs before had been two-pronged: (i) firstly, 
it intended to dissolve or privatize SOEs that had become obsolete, unnecessary or appropriate for 
private ownership; and, (ii) secondly, there were ongoing plans to improve efficiency and 
economic governance at those remaining SOEs.  The Government had formed the SOE Working 
Group, spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance, to develop multi-year strategic and operational 
frameworks for Liberian SOEs.  The framework for this had been difficult to implement, given the 
economic and social sensitivity of the possible re sulting layoffs and the economic chaos created by 
the Ebola crisis.  The 19 SOEs currently in place, including Liberia Sugar Corporation (LSC) which 
was defunct, were listed in Annex 4 to this Report, with their functions and ownership structures.  
The representative of Liberia added that one state owned enterprise, Liberia Cement Corporation 
(Cemenco), had been fully privatized in 2013.  
40.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that his Government would ensure the 
transparency of its ongoing privatization programme.  He stated that his Government would WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  provide annual reports to WTO Members on developments in its privatization programme as long 
as the programme would be in existence, and along the lines of the information already provided to the Working Party during the accession process.  The Working Party took note of 
this commitment.] 
41. The representative of Liberia said that the State-owned enterprises abided by the same 
corporate laws and principles as private companies, unless otherwise provided for in law.  
The enterprises were organized with Boards of Directors and adhered to national accounting 
standards.  The Board of Directors prepared annual reports and audited statements to the 
shareholders, internal auditors and the tax author ities.  The annual reports were published in the 
Official Bulletin and/or in newspapers.  Independent (external) auditors reports were always 
annexed to the annual reports.  Where the SOE made a profit, these were distributed as decided by the Boards of Directors. 
42. Regarding State trading, the representative of Liberia said that weapons and munitions 
were imported exclusively by the Ministry of Defence.  Other products, such as fuels and 
lubricants, were imported subject to a special impo rt regime and under an exclusive regime by the 
SOE or other selected enterprises.  Asked to name the state-sanctioned trading monopolies, the 
representative of Liberia informed that the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) had the 
mandate to procure and supply quality petroleum and petroleum related products to the Liberian 
market.  The Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC) was responsible for coordinating cocoa 
production in the cocoa sector.  There were no plans on future change in status of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC).  As to the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC), 
process to transform it to a regulatory body was underway. 
43. Based on the information available, some Members considered that Liberia would need to 
notify state-owned enterprises listed in Annex 4 to  this Report as State trading enterprises under 
Article XVII of the GATT 1994.  
44. [The representative of Liberia confirmed that  Liberia would ensure that all State-owned, 
State-invested, and other enterprises with special or exclusive privileges would make purchases of 
goods and services, which were not intended for governmental use, and sales in international 
trade, based solely on commercial considerations, e.g. price, quality, marketability and availability, 
and that the enterprises of other WTO Member s would have an adequate opportunity in 
accordance with customary practice to compete for such purchases or sales.  In addition, Liberia would not influence, directly or indirectly, commercial decisions on the part of State-owned, State-
invested, and other enterprises with special or exclusive privileges, including on the quantity, 
value or country of origin of any goods purchased or sold, except in a manner consistent with the 
WTO Agreement.  The representative of Liberia co nfirmed that upon accession Liberia would notify 
and provide information on the activities of all State-owned, State-invested, and other enterprises 
with special or exclusive privileges in accordance with Article XVII of the GATT and the 
Understanding on that Article.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.]   WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  - Pricing policies 
45. The representative of Liberia said that in a small number of specific sectors, there was 
specific concern for oligopolistic behaviour resulting in high prices on essential products.  In trying 
to address these problems the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) had instituted price 
monitoring and studied the possibility of price controls, or an appropriate mark-up or profit 
margin.  Currently, Title 14 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("General Business Law") was the 
legal instrument that regulated the oligopolistic behaviour of business firms in Liberia.  
The Liberian Government issued monthly price circular for petroleum products.  The circular set 
the maximum prices for petroleum products on a month-to-month basis.  These suggested "price-
caps" were currently published for only petroleum products but were also calculated for internal 
use for rice and cement for the purposes of monitoring. Under the draft Competition Law, which enactment was envisaged in 2015, the Government  of Liberia would address the issues of 
oligopolistic behaviour on the market and promote fair competition in all sectors.  There were no 
other provisions for price controls in Liberian law. 
46. [The representative of Liberia confirmed that pricing policy in Liberia would be applied in 
compliance with the provisions of Article III:4 an d XI:1 of the GATT 1994 and Article 4 of the WTO 
Agreement on Agriculture.  He further stated that in the application of price controls now or in the 
future, Liberia would apply such measures in a WTO-consistent fashion, and take account of the 
interests of exporting WTO Members as provided for in Article III:9 of the GATT 1994.  Liberia 
would publish the list of goods and services subjec t to State monitoring or control and any changes 
to this list in its Official Gazette, and at least three local dailies, along with the official website of 
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (www.moc i.gov.lr) and would continue to do so after 
accession.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.]  
- Competition policy 
47. The representative of Liberia said that the re gulation of competition policy was addressed 
in Title 14 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revise d ("General Business Law").  The Law was based on 
the need to prevent unfair trade practices and anti-c ompetitive behaviour, as well as to ensure an 
active and efficient free market economy.  In recent years there had been increasing concerns in 
the Government of Liberia about the anti-competiti ve practices of some businesses in key sectors, 
especially among those distributing imported goods such as cement, rice and other areas of retail.  
To avoid possible abuse of monopolistic position by big companies, the Government of Liberia intended to promote the small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and expand the scope for 
the establishment of new ones, to ensure that major foreign-owned businesses did not dominate 
small and medium-sized enterprises. He noted that the Government had initiated annual MSME 
conferences with the private sector to understand their constraints and to provide more 
opportunities for MSMEs.  
48. In 2010, Liberia had developed a draft Competition Law, currently going through 
stakeholder review before being submitted to the National Legislature for enactment, envisaged in WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  2015.  The new law would tackle conspiracies in relation to trade including price fixing and market 
allocation; unfair trade practices including misrepresentations and price maintenance; and anti-competitive behaviour including abuse of dominant position and mergers.  The current 
system, under Title 14 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("General Business Law"), allowed the 
Ministry of Justice to investigate cases relating to  unfair prohibited trade practices, such as, price 
fixing and market allocation.  
III. FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING AND ENFORCING POLICIES 
- Powers of Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches of Government  
49. The representative of Liberia informed that 1986 Liberia Constitution (hereinafter: 
Constitution) had replaced the 1847 Constitution  which had been suspended on 12 April 1980.  
The Constitution had come into force on 6 January 1986.  
50. The form of government was Republican with three separate coordinate branches:  the 
Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial.  Consis tent with the principles of separation of powers 
and checks and balances, no person holding office in  one of these branches could hold office in or 
exercise any of the powers assigned to either of the other two branches except as otherwise 
provided for in the Constitution; and no person ho lding office in one of the said branches could 
serve on any autonomous public agency. An ex ample of an exception to the principles of 
separation of power was the Vice President who was in the Executive Branch and served as the 
President of the Senate, presiding over the deliber ations without the right to vote, except in the 
case of a tie. 
51. The Executive Power of the Republic of Liberi a was vested in the President who was Head 
of State, Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia.  
The President was elected by universal adult suffrage of registered voters and held office for a 
term of six years.  All Liberian citizens 18 years of age or older were allowed to vote.  No person 
could serve as President for more than two terms.  The President had the power to conduct the 
foreign affairs of Liberia (including foreign trade policy which, as per the authority of the 
Legislature, had to be authorized in law) and, in that connection, was empowered to conclude 
treaties, conventions and similar international agreements with the concurrence of a majority of 
each House of the Legislature.  The President appointed the Cabinet to carry out government 
functions, subject to the confirmation by the Senate.  The President also nominated and appointed 
the heads of regulatory bodies and 19 State Owne d Enterprises (SOEs).  The information about the 
regulatory bodies, where the President did the appointing, and, whether these appointments 
needed legislative confirmation, was contained in Annex 5 to this Report.   
52. Liberia had a bicameral legislature, a Senate an d a House of Representatives, consisting of 
73 representatives and 30 senators, respectively.  Senators were elected for a nine-year term, and 
the members of the House of Representatives were elected for a six-year term.  Under the 
Constitution, the Legislature had the power to ratify treaties, conventions and other international WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  agreements negotiated or signed by the Executive on behalf of Liberia and to regulate trade and 
commerce between Liberia and other nations. 
53. Making and enacting laws was one of the Legislature's most important responsibilities.2 
According to the Constitution, in order to become la w, bills had to be passed by a majority vote in 
both Chambers and signed by the President.  Every proposal for making a law had to be made in 
the form of a bill by members of the Legislature or  by the Executive.  The bills could be introduced 
to the Legislature, either the House of Representa tives or the Senate, only by members of either 
chamber.  The ideas for bills could come from individual citizens, communities, civil society 
organizations or government institutions. The process was as follows: 
(i) A bill was introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, depending 
on the sponsor of the bill, by a member of either chamber,  and given a first reading;  
(ii) The bill was assigned to a committee where members would debate the issues and 
could introduce changes.  The committee submitted a report to the plenary;  
(iii) The bill was given a second reading by the plenary. The members could decide to 
send the bill back to the committee or make amendments;  
(iv) When the legislators were satisfied that there had been sufficient debate, the bill as 
amended was given a third reading in the plenary and members were called on to 
vote in favour of or against it. If members passed the bill, it was sent on to the other chamber of the Legislature for consideration;  
(v) The bill was introduced into second chamber and given a first reading; 
(vi) The bill was assigned to a committee where members would debate the issues and 
could make changes.  The committee submitted a report to the plenary; 
(vii) The bill was given a second reading by the plenary.  The members could decide to 
send the bill back to the committee or make amendments;  
(viii)  When the legislators were satisfied that there had been sufficient debate, the bill as 
amended was given a third reading in the plenary and members were called on to 
vote in favour of or against it.  If the other chamber concurred with the first, the bill 
was sent to the President for executive approval; and, 
(ix) Once a bill had either been signed by the President or vetoed but passed by a 2/3 
majority of each chamber, the bill was published into law. 
54. The Executive Branch, headed by the President,  was composed of ministries and agencies. 
Each ministry and agency was created by law through the legislative process mentioned in 
paragraph [53] of this Report.  With the power ve sted in each ministry and agency, each had the 
authority to create regulations for the enhancement of its mandate enshrined in the statute 
creating them.  Regulations created should neither violate provisions of the Constitution nor the 
Act creating the ministry or agency.  The head of  each ministry and agency, or his/her designate, 
was the person empowered to sign and issue regulations. 
                                               
2 Other responsibilities of the Legislature were to create new counties, levy taxes; constitute courts 
inferior to the Supreme Court; to approve treaties , conventions and other international agreements; to 
regulate trade and commerce between Liberia and other nations; etc. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  55. The representative of Liberia noted that, in accordance with Title 12 of the Liberian Code of 
Laws Revised ("Executive Law"), heads of ministries or independent agencies (including SOEs) under the Executive Branch, subject to approval by  the President, issued regulations within their 
respective mandates.  These  regulations were implementing already enacted legislation, but not 
limited to it, and could extend to issues not di rectly addressed by the existing legislation.  
To facilitate the process of transforming the regulatory regime towards its full WTO consistency, as 
a temporary measure, the Government had decided to issue the regulations necessary to ensure 
WTO consistency of Liberia's trade regime prior to its accession.  The respective legislation would 
be adopted and enacted during the transitional pe riods granted to Liberia in accordance with its 
Protocol of Accession. 
56. [The representative of Liberia also confirme d that international treaties and agreements 
ratified by the Legislature, including the WTO Ag reement, had precedence over domestic laws.  
If laws and other acts of Liberia were found to contradict international treaties or agreements, the 
provisions of the international treaty or agreemen t, such as the WTO Agreement, would apply. All 
legislative or regulatory instruments necessary for the application of the WTO provisions would be 
adopted and enacted upon accession, with the exce ption of those in the areas where Liberia would 
be granted transitional periods in accordance wi th its Protocol of Accession. The Working Party 
took note of these commitments.] 
57. The judiciary was divided into four levels, including justices of the peace, magistrate courts 
(courts not of record), circuit and specialty courts (e.g., the Tax Court, the Commercial Court, the Probate Court, etc.), and the Supreme Court.  Traditional courts existed in rural areas of the 
country.  The formal judicial system remained hampered by severe shortages of qualified judges 
and judicial officers. 
- Government entities responsible for ma king and implementing policies affecting 
foreign trade; Right of Appeal 
58. The representative of Liberia informed that th e Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) 
was responsible for making and implementing policies regarding domestic and international trade 
under the Executive Act of 1972 that was amended in 1987.  The functions of the MoCI included, 
as provided for under the Act, promotion, development, regulation, control, operation and 
expansion of commercial, industrial enterprises and activities in Liberia.  The MoCI exercised 
powers with respect to protection of the public  interest and the achievement of national goals 
through the establishment and enforcement of standards for commodities and trade.  
Such functions, as required by the public and government agencies in pursuit of these objectives, 
were administered by or under the purview of th e MoCI. In execution of its functions, the MoCI: 
- established and regulated commodity and trade standards; 
- collected, evaluated and published data pertaining to commerce and industry; 
- established and enforced standards of business practice; - promoted sound development of foreign and domestic commerce; 
- developed plans for the movements of goods and people to and from Liberia;  
- conducted the registration of business enterprises; and, - performed other functions that could be assigned by the President. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  59. Some activities, such as administration of bilateral trade agreements, such as ECOWAS 
and the Mano River Union, were handled by other agencies, such as the Ministry of Finance and 
Development Planning and the Ministry of Fore ign Affairs.  The responsibility for customs 
procedures and duties and taxes on imported prod ucts was held by the Ministry of Finance and 
Development Planning and the Liberia Revenue Author ity.  In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture 
and the Ministry of Health were responsible for sanitary and phytosanitary inspections at ports of 
entry; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was involved in the import and export of 
products, such as chemicals and controlled substances.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was 
responsible for signing trade treaties or agreements on behalf of the Republic of Liberia.  
Responsibility for regulating trade in services was diffuse and spread over a range of 
government bodies.   
60. The representative of Liberia informed that Section 59 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 
2000, as Amended in 2011, provided the right of appeal or protest of a customs decision.  
In accordance with the Code, the appeal process began at the Board of Tax Appeals (BoTA), which 
was an administrative review body.  The BoTA would grant a regular hearing within 6 months of 
the date of the trader's request for a hearing. An emergency hearing could be granted within 10 
days (e.g., in case of seizure of property).  Th e decision of the BoTA was appealable to the Tax 
Court, within 60 days of the BoTA decision.  It was also possible for traders to appeal or protest a 
customs decision to the Tax Court, directly. Party litigants might seek redress from a decision of 
the Tax Court by petitioning the Supreme Court of Li beria.  He also informed that, Section 1239 of 
the draft Customs Code would provide for an additional mechanism of appeal within customs, as a 
"first and fast" administrative remedy.  The draft Customs Code, when enacted, would provide for 
an administrative appeal system within customs whose decision could be appealed to BoTA, the 
Tax Court and the Supreme Court.   
61. [The representative of Liberia confirmed that the current constitution, laws and regulations 
provided the necessary institutional base for the pr ompt administrative and judicial review of the 
administrative actions.  The representative of Liberia further confirmed that, from the date of 
accession, Liberia's laws and regulations would provide individuals or enterprises affected by any 
administrative action subject to WTO provisions, the right to appeal such action, without penalty, 
to the courts or other independent tribunal in conformity with WTO obligations, including those set 
out in Article X of the GATT 1994, Article 23 of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Article 11 of the WTO Agr eement on Implementation of Article VII of the 
GATT 1994, Article 62 of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property 
Rights and Article VI of the GATS. The tribunals or  procedures would also include actions relating 
to the implementation of national treatment, conformity assessment, the regulation, control, 
supply or promotion of a service, including the gran t or denial of a licence to provide a service and 
other matters.  The tribunals or procedures responsible for such reviews would be impartial and 
independent of the agency entrusted with admi nistrative enforcement and would not have any 
substantial interest in the outcome of the ma tter.  The review procedure would include the 
opportunity for appeal, without penalty, by individuals or enterprises affected by any WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  administrative action subject to review.  Notice of the decision on appeal would be given to the 
appellant and the reasons for such a decision would be provided in writing.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
- Division of authority between central and sub-central governments 
62. The representative of Liberia said that Liberia was a unitary state with full trade and treaty 
powers vested in and exercised by the central government.  He explained that, for administrative 
purposes, Liberia was divided into counties.  There were 15 counties in Liberia.  The counties were 
subdivided into 68 districts, districts into chiefdom s, chiefdoms into clans, and clans into towns or 
villages.  County authorities, city mayors, district and township commissioners and 
superintendents were appointed by the President.  They exercised executive authority by virtue of 
the fact that they were an extension of the Exec utive branch of government.  They did not have 
the power to legislate or introduce any trade-rela ted measures.  The Minister of Internal Affairs 
was the chief officer of the local governments, re sponsible for overseeing local administration.  
There were also elections for Paramount, Clan and Town Chiefs by the registered voters in their 
respective localities, to serve for a term of six years.  In accordance with Title 20 of the Liberian 
Code of Laws Revised ("Local Government Law"), local bodies had authority over budgetary issues, 
took care of public property and could execut e and enforce laws related to their respective 
localities.  The representative of Liberia added that there was currently a plan to transfer the 
authority on tax collection to the counties level.  Policies that increasingly put power in the hands 
of local communities were taking hold with the passing of the Community Rights Law, endorsement of a National Decentralization Policy, and the creation of county-level branches for 
government service-delivery. 
63. [The representative of Liberia confirmed that all financial, budgetary and tax collection 
activities performed by local governments would be in compliance with Article III of the GATT 
1994.  The representative of Liberia confirmed th at sub-central entities (local administrative 
bodies) had no autonomous authority over issues of subsidies, taxation, trade policy or any other 
measures covered by WTO provisions.  He confirmed that, upon accession, Liberia would apply 
WTO provisions and Liberia's Protocol of Acce ssion uniformly throughout the entire customs 
territory, including in special economic zones, and other areas where special regimes for tariffs, 
taxes and regulations were established.  He further confirmed that when apprised or alerted of a 
situation where WTO provisions were not being applied or were applied in a non-uniform manner, central authorities would act to enforce WTO provisions without requiring affected parties to 
petition through the courts.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
IV. POLICIES AFFECTING TRADE IN GOODS 
- Registration requirements for impo rt/export operations; Trading rights 
64. The representative of Liberia informed that business registration statistics indicated 
that the Liberia Business Registry (LBR) had registered a total of 4,950 businesses as of WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  November 2011, of which 625 were foreign owned.  In 2013, a total of 7,459 businesses were 
registered, of which 479 or 6% were foreign owned.  As of October 2014, a total of 6,006 businesses were registered in 2014, representing 5,636 Liberians and 370 for foreign owned 
businesses.  The LBR had been established in April 2011, as a one-stop business registry to 
simplify and speed up the process of starting a bu siness, allowing entrepreneurs to register their 
businesses within 48 hours. 
65. The representative of Liberia said that the ex isting registration requirements were for all 
businesses.  The Investment Act of 2010 required that any person who intended to establish an 
enterprise should incorporate and/or register a business organization in accordance with the 
Associations Law of Liberia or such laws as were relevant to the establishment of the enterprise.  
66. Registration of business in Liberia had prev iously been undertaken by the Division of 
Domestic Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and In dustry (MoCI).  Before engaging in importing 
or exporting, all businesses had been required to : (i) register with the MoCI; and, (ii) obtain 
approval from the respective sector ministries. This process was cumbersome and involved several 
ministries: Finance, and Foreign Affairs, along with other agencies, such as National Social 
S e c u r i t y  C o r p o r a t i o n ,  a n d  C e n t r a l  B a n k  o f  L i b e r i a .   T h i s  p r o c e s s  t o o k  m o r e  t h a n  a  m o n t h  t o  
register a business.  
67. After the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had implemented a programme to streamline 
business registration, the registration process, on  average, took about ten days and required two 
signatories for approval.  Liberia had implemented a computerized national business registry that 
simplified and sped up the process of starting a business, allowing entrepreneurs to register their 
businesses within 48 hours.  The registration procedure for starting a business had been improved 
in Liberia.  The automated system had increased Li beria's specific ranking on "Starting a Business" 
in the World Bank's "Doing Business" Report from 64 in 2011 to 35 in 2012.  In the 2015 Report, 
Liberia was ranked 30 on "Starting a Business".  The Business registration process depended on 
the type of business ownership: (i) sole proprietorship, (ii) partnership or, (iii) incorporated 
business, etc.  
68. The process of registration of a business was now reduced to the following procedures: 
(i) An applicant submitted an application to register the business, providing the 
required documents (articles of incorporation and the identification card), and 
paying the fee, as described in the Regi stry's Web site: www.lbr.gov.lr. This first 
step could be completed within a day; and, 
(ii) An applicant received an approval of the application and the Business Registration 
Certificate. This second step could also be completed within one day from the date 
of application, bringing the total time of registering an enterprise to be within 48 
hours (two days). 
69.  The representative of Liberia referred to Annex 6 to this Report which contained 
information on the fees structure for business registration in Liberia. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  70. To engage in importing certain products, businesses thus registered also had to obtain an 
Import Permit Declaration (IPD), as discussed in Section "Quantitative Import Restrictions, including Prohibitions, Quotas and Licensing Systems" of this Report. For the highly monitored 
sectors of petroleum, cement and rice, the businesses also had to contact, directly, the Minister for 
Commerce and Industry for authorization, based on specific technical requirements related to 
standards, warehousing, etc., before they could start the import business. 
71. Members asked the representative of Liberia about the state of play in the process of 
implementing a computerized national business regi stry.  The representative of Liberia responded 
that the Liberia Business Registry (LBR) was a priority of the Liberia Poverty Reduction Strategy 
(PRS). It had been delivered by the Ministry of  Commerce and Industry in partnership with the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Fina nce, the Central Bank of Liberia and the National 
Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) .  The initiative had been supported by the 
Investment Climate Facility (ICF) for Africa and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which 
provided technical expertise and logistical and financial support.  The LBR was a semi-autonomous 
Government of Liberia Agency operating as a one-stop-shop to formalize / register enterprises and 
provide information services to the public.  Th e LBR, launched on 18 April 2011, registered all 
types and categories of businesses through the computerized system, which had the potential of 
registering a business within at most 48 hours, if all requirements for a particular enterprise 
registration were complied with. 
72. Members noted the statement of the representative of Liberia that foreign-owned 
businesses must submit articles of incorporation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry 
of Finance, and that fees were levied.  They re quested further clarification on these incorporation 
requirements for foreign-owned businesses, and wh y the requirements were different for Liberian-
owned businesses.  With respect to different fees applied to business incorporation depending on 
whether they were Liberian- or foreign-owned, Members asked to clarify the basis for such fees, 
and how these fees were in line with the cost of the actual service rendered.  Members asked 
whether Liberia intended to remove the discr imination between foreign-owned businesses and 
locally-owned businesses and encouraged Liberi a to bring the business licenses fees into 
compliance with WTO principles. 
73. The representative of Liberia responded that  his government was aware that the current 
registration practice constituted an infringement of the non-discrimination principle.  The higher 
registration fee for foreign businesses was a source  of revenue for the Government of Liberia.  
The disparity in business registration fees between foreign and domestic businesses was being 
reviewed within the context of revenue generation, and nature of business.   
74. Members also noted that current law appeared to constitute a domestic presence 
requirement.  They requested the representative of Liberia to clarify whether a foreign (legal or 
natural) person had the opportunity to directly import a product for a customer in Liberia without 
first establishing domestic presence in Liberia.  If Liberia required foreign persons to establish WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  domestic presence in Liberia before they were permitted to import goods, Members asked to 
explain the rationale for this requirement in addition to registration in order to import. 
75. The representative of Liberia responded that foreign (legal or natural) persons had the 
opportunity to directly import a product for a customer in Liberia without establishing domestic 
presence in Liberia.  In that case, the foreign firm was the supplier/exporter of the product into 
Liberia and the customer was the importer.  It was th e importer (legal or natural) in this case who 
must meet the domestic presence requirement de pending on the end use (personal or commercial) 
of the product being imported.  Anyone involved in importation of good for sale was involved in a 
business.  That person had to be recognized by the laws of Liberia as a sole proprietorship, 
partnership, corporation or joint venture.  In order to be legally engaged in these activities, the 
business had to be registered, and during this process, a Tax Identification Number (TIN) was assigned to this business.  A foreigner (legal or natural) person who exported to Liberia did not 
have to have domestic presence to do so and did not have to be registered with the Government 
of Liberia.  The responsibility of registering was on the importer not the business supplying the 
goods to Liberia as a physical presence was not required under Liberian law.  The importer had to 
have a legal presence in Liberia in accordance with Chapter 4.2 of Title 14 of the Liberian Code of 
Laws Revised ("General Business Law"). However, the legal presence did not have to be the 
commercial presence.  
76. With regard to information provided in paragraph [66] of this Report, Members asked the 
representative of Liberia to clarify what sort of approval could be required from respective sector 
ministries, which ministries could be involved, an d the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) 
approval process. 
77. The representative of Liberia informed that the Liberian Business Registry (LBR) had the 
role of registering enterprises in accordance with Chapter 4 of Title 14 of the Liberian Code of Laws 
Revised ("General Business Law").  The LBR advised the enterprise, based upon the line or lines of 
business activity, to obtain the requisite operating licence from the Ministry or Agency with 
oversight and technical responsibility. Listed below were examples of some of the business 
activities that required a licence or permit from the relevant sector Ministry or Agency: 
- Fishing activity and other agricultural activities – Ministry of Agriculture; 
- Sale of motor vehicles, parts and accessories (other transport related activities) – Ministry 
of Transport; 
- Sale of pharmaceuticals – Pharmaceutical Board of Liberia; - Mining activities – Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy; 
- Logging activities and/or forestry related activities – Forestry Development Authority 
(FDA); 
- Construction related activities – Ministry of Public Works; - Private security guard services – Ministry of Justice; and, 
- Buying and selling "scrapped materials" – Mini stry of Lands, Mines and Energy/Ministry of 
Justice, and other relevant ministries. 
78. [The representative of Liberia confirmed that from the date of accession, Liberia would 
grant any natural or legal person, regardless of physical presence or investment in Liberia, the 
right to be the importer of record of any product allowed to be imported into Liberia, at any level WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  of distribution, and that its laws and regulations relating to the right to trade in goods and all fees, 
charges or taxes levied on such rights would conform fully with its WTO obligations, including Articles VIII:1(a), XI:1, and III:2 and 4 of the GA TT 1994, Article III of the General Agreement on 
Trade in Services, and Article 63 of the Agreem ent on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights.  He also confirmed that full rights to import and to export would be granted in a 
non-discriminatory and non-discretionary manner from the date of accession, and any 
requirements for commercial registration or application for trading rights would be for customs and 
fiscal purposes only, would not require investment in Liberia nor confer the right to distribute 
there, and would not constitute a barrier to tr ade.  The Working Party took note of these 
commitments.]   
A. IMPORT REGULATIONS - Ordinary customs duties 
- Customs tariff 
79. The representative of Liberia said the legal framework for the tariff regime in Liberia was 
the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011 (hereinafter: Revenue Code). The tariff 
was composed of four schedules, as described in Annex 7 to this Report.  In line with the Revenue 
Code and the ECOWAS Harmonized Commodity Description Code, Liberia applied the Harmonized 
Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) developed by the World Customs Organization 
(WCO), as amended by the Protocol of Amendm ent of 24 June 1986, Liberia acceded to the HS 
Convention in 2010.  Liberia's national tariff schedule was based on HS 1996 until July 2012 when 
it was migrated to, and became effective with the HS 2012 as required by the WCO and in line 
with Sections 1711 and 1712 of the Revenue Code.  
80. Liberia applied custom duties on both ad valorem  and specific duty bases.  The majority of 
the duty was on an ad valorem  basis.  The structure of Liberian tariff regime had a total number of 
110 (1.9%) tariff rates in a specific duty basis.  Those lines included rice, sugar confectionery, beverages, spirits and soaps, organic surface –a ctive reagents products among other products.  
81. The representative of Liberia said that custom s import duty tariff structure for Liberia was 
relatively simple.   On the structure, he referred to Annex 8 and Annex 9 to this Report. 
The structure had twelve basic ad valorem  tariff rates: (i) 0%; (ii) 1.5%; (iii) 2.5%; (iv) 5%; (v) 
7.5%; (vi) 10%; (vii) 11%; (viii) 15%; (ix) 20%, (x) 25%, (xi) 45% and (xii) 50%. The most 
common ad valorem  duty rate was 5%, accounting for some 1,930 products (33% of all the 
product lines).  The least common tariff rate was 45%, only for one product.  Two products 
(scientific or school printed books, brochures, leaflets and similar printed matter, and monetary 
gold) were duty free. The structure also had 24 sp ecific duty rate bases. He added that, import 
duty was an important component of Liberia Government's revenue. The total government 
revenue for the fiscal year 2013/2014 had US$395.925 million, with import duty contributing 
some US$155.1 million (30%). WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  82. Liberia was in the process of phasing in th e ECOWAS CET with the aim of harmonizing its 
tariff regime with the CET.  The ECOWAS CET had five categories and five rates (zero, 5, 10, 20, 35%) which on average were higher than tariffs currently being applied in Liberia. ECOWAS 
members applying the CET such as Senegal and Togo, currently had an average ad valorem  tariff 
of around 12.1%, and it was expected that on impl ementation of the CET, average tariffs in Liberia 
would rise to the similar level.   
83. In 2007, the weighted average tariff rate of Liberia had been 11.32%.  Except for the 
countries who were members of the Mano River Union, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, 
all the import duties applied on an MFN basis.  The representative of Liberia noted that when 
Liberia began the implementation of the CET of EC OWAS, the tariff structure of Liberia would have 
the same five categories as one of ECOWAS, as reflected in Annex 10 to this Report. 
84. Liberia was also a member of Mano River Union (MRU).  The MRU had been established in 
1973 by Liberia and Sierra Leone.  Guinea had joined the Union in 1980 and Côte d'Ivoire had 
joined in 2008.  The goal of the Union was to foster economic cooperation among the member 
countries but currently most of the efforts were geared towards maintenance of peace in the 
region.  Trade with member countries was duty free.  Goods traded in the region were 
accompanied with the region's proof of origin (in a form indicating that the goods were of local 
origin). The Customs declaration had to be accompanied by a proof of Mano River Union origin 
(certificate of origin). The Certificate of Origin had to be signed by the industry, approved by the 
Customs administration and attested to by MRU country office in the country of origin. 
85. Members asked the representative of Liberia to clarify Liberia's position on the fifth band 
for the ECOWAS CET tariff schedule (for the sensitiv e products) of 35%, which had been agreed by 
ECOWAS ministers in November 2008, and whether Liberia had its own methodology for 
identifying sensitive products.  
86. The representative of Liberia confirmed that Liberia had planned to implement the 
ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) by January 2015, including all CET rates equal to or higher 
than the current Liberian tariff. Currently, Liberia had the tariff in alignment with the ECOWAS CET 
including nomenclature and rates. However, Liberia had further sub divided some of the CET tariff 
lines for statistical and other purposes, though the CET rates were maintained in those 
subdivisions.  Thus, Liberia had 5,917 total tariff li nes with the implementation of the CET, though 
the CET had 5,899 tariff lines. Given that Liberia would have implemented the CET during accession, the CET, which was Liberia's new applied tariff, was the basis of Liberia's goods offer. 
The current Liberia's 'sensitive products' list had been compiled by the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry (MoCI) and made up of goods considered  to be essential and politically sensitive for 
reconstruction and poverty reduction.  The list was currently made up of three goods: rice, 
petroleum products, and cement.  The representative of Liberia confirmed that the tariff rates on 
the sensitive products would be in line with ECOWAS CET. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 28 - 
 
  - Other duties and charges 
87. The representative of Liberia said that im ports into Liberia from non-ECOWAS countries 
were charged 0.5% of the value of imports (CIF ) as ECOWAS Community Levy (ETL). This charge 
was the statutory contribution to ECOWAS secretariat for running of the community's operations.  
According to the Protocol on ECOWAS Community Levy, each ECOWAS member was expected to 
pay a tax of 0.5% of the value of imports (CIF) on all products imported from non-ECOWAS 
members.  The representative of Liberia confirmed that there were no other duties and charges within the meaning of Article II:1(b) of the GATT 1994.  
88. Some Members stated that they would be very concerned at any attempt to seek 
exemptions from the provisions of Article II: 1(b) of the GATT 1994 for particular kinds of 
measures such as the ECOWAS levy, recalling that the provisions of Article II:1(b) of GATT 1994 
had been created to ensure the integrity of commitments on bound tariffs.  Liberia was 
encouraged to fund the ECOWAS levy from general taxation revenue, or negotiate its elimination 
within ECOWAS.   
89. Members also encouraged Liberia to bind its other duties and charges within the meaning 
of Article II:1(b) of the GATT 1994 at zero upon accession. 
90. Responding to requests that Liberia eliminate all ODCs and bind such duties and charges at 
zero in the Schedule of Concessions and Commitments  on Goods, the representative of Liberia said 
that the application of the ECOWAS Community Levy had been negotiated by all the ECOWAS 
members and that Liberia was not in a position to eliminate this levy unilaterally.  He further 
stated that the ECOWAS Community Levy was, in his view, the only charge currently applied by 
Liberia that fell within the meaning of "other du ties and charges" covered by Article II:1(b) of 
the GATT 1994.   
91. [The representative of Liberia confirmed that his Government would not list duties and 
charges in its Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on Goods under Article II:1(b) of the 
GATT 1994 except for the ECOWAS Community Levy of 0.5%, thereby binding such charges at 
that rate.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.]   
- Tariff rate quotas, tariff exemptions 
92. The representative of Liberia said that Liberia did not apply tariff rate quotas on imports. 
There were several duty exemption programmes fo r defined importers.  These duty exemption 
programmes were provided under various legislat ion or orders.  The Liberia Revenue Code 2000, 
as Amended in 2011, provided for exemption of du ty payment on any goods imported by or on 
account of the President, Government, local government or local government bodies, 
representatives of foreign governments or public international organizations, as reasonably used households and personal effects in reasonable quantities, under special circumstances relating to 
senior government officials, and as personal effects for personal use of people arriving 
from abroad.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 29 - 
 
  93. Equipment for construction of roads, forest ry equipment, agricultural equipment and 
agricultural seeds were exempted from payment of import duty through presidential order.  
Currently, exemption of duty on these products wa s extended through Presidential Executive Order 
No. 64 of 2014. The purpose of this duty susp ension was to accelerate the pace of road 
construction and rehabilitation, the development of the forestry sector and agricultural production 
in the country.  The Consolidated Tax Amendments Act of 2011, as incorporated in the Liberia 
Revenue Code 2000, as Amended in 2011, had provid ed exemptions from payment of duty for all 
raw materials and capital goods for use in the agricultural sector.  Capital equipment and inputs 
imported by a contractor with an agricultural co ncession agreement had also been duty exempted.  
In addition, medical and educational equipment an d supplies purchased for use during the life of 
the contract were import duty exempted.  Raw materi als, excluding gasoline and gas oil, as well as 
plant and equipment, including vehicles, and capita l spare parts, and intermediate inputs including 
explosives, drilling mud, grinding balls, tires for trucks and similar items when imported by 
producers under a Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) or a petroleum production sharing 
agreement were also exempted from duty.  The information about Liberia's import tariff waivers 
through Executive Orders, as of 2015, was contained in Annex 11 to this Report. 
94. The import duty on rice had subsequently been suspended through presidential orders.  
Executive Order No. 61 of 2014 had suspended the import tariff on rice as classified under tariff 
Nos. 1006.30.00 (in packing of more than 5 kg or in bulk); and 1006.40.00 (broken rice) under 
the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011. 
95.  Members asked the representative of Liberia to explain the presidential order system and 
whether the tariff exemptions were delivered erga omnes , to any companies. 
96. The representative of Liberia explained that  the Presidential (Executive) Orders were 
temporary decrees that increased, lowered or exempted certain goods from duties and taxes for a 
specified period of time, but not more than for one year.  The Presidential Order System addressed 
specific issues or concerns pending legislative action. Only the Legislature had the authority to 
establish duty and tax rates on a permanent basis.  Tariff exemptions by Executive/Presidential 
Orders were published in local dailies. Tariff exemptions issued through Presidential Order were 
available to all enterprises paying the import duties unless otherwise restricted by the Order.  
Incentive agreements entered into between spec ific companies and the Government of Liberia 
were specific to the company and not available to all.  The Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, was moving away from this practice so that 
incentives would be specified in the tax code and available to all qualifying companies on an equal 
basis.  The issuance of Executive Order was a constitutional provision that empowered the 
President to address critical development and povert y reduction priorities that might not be swiftly 
addressed through other legal channels.    
97. Members understood that low or zero tariffs on agricultural, mining and petroleum 
extraction equipment could be valuable to Liberia's economic development.  However, these 
Members noted that Liberia maintained provisions fo r duty-free imports available only to firms with WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  an agricultural concession agreement, mineral development agreement, or petroleum production 
sharing agreement.  These Members requested the representative of Liberia to provide further 
information on each of these types of agreements  and explain whether the duty-free benefits that 
accrued to companies participating in these agreements were contingent upon the use of local 
content or contingent upon export. 
98. The representative of Liberia responded that Section 16 of Chapter 1 and Section 1708 of 
Chapter 17 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, provided the sectors, the 
investment threshold and the type and level of ex emption available under the law.  The benefits 
were not dependent on the use of local content and/ or export.  However, the provisions of Section 
16 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, became available based on the level 
of investment (US$500,000 for 100% Liberians and US$1 million and above for all others for a set period of time 5 years), and, specifically fo r manufacturers, there was a requirement for local 
inputs of about 30%, excluding water.  Export performance was not a requirement under 
all scenarios. 
99. Members took note of Liberia's explanations regarding the Presidential Order system and 
tariff exemptions.  They called Liberia's attention on the importance of a transparent and 
predictable trade and business environment.  Member s noted that tariff exemptions by Presidential 
Order were normally available to all companies but the Order might state otherwise.  
They requested for clarifications regarding such exceptions.  Members also noted Liberia's 
intention regarding the reforms related to incentives.   
100.  The representative of Liberia replied that the Executive Order was based on the 
constitutional provision by which the President could make a temporary decree to address specific 
issues, pending legislative action.  Executive Orders had one year life span but were renewable. 
They were applicable to all companies and, as such, they were non-discriminatory.  All Executive 
Orders were published.  The representative of Libe ria further clarified that in keeping with Liberia's 
development and poverty reduction priorities, exceptional Executive Orders were issued for 
particular institutions, mostly public ones, providing public services for public goods. 
101.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that any tariff rate quotas, if introduced in the 
future, would be applied and administered in conf ormity with WTO rules and regulations, including 
MFN and national treatment provisions.  He also confirmed that upon accession to the WTO, any 
tariff exemptions would only be implemented in conformity with the relevant WTO provisions including Article I of the GATT 1994 and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Investment 
Measures. The Working Party took note of this commitment.] 
- Fees and charges for services rendered 
102.  The representative of Liberia said fees and charges for services rendered included the 
following fees in connection with importation: (i) fixed fees; (ii) customs user fee; (iii) preshipment 
inspection fees, as described in paragraph [170] and Annex 16 of this Report; and, (iv) port fees. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 31 - 
 
  The Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, provided, in his view, for the customs 
service fees to cover the cost of customs services at ports and airports.   
103.  The Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, provided for fixed fees to be paid 
as a part of customs service fees for services at customs ports of entry. These fixed fees were 
fixed by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning and were to cover services, as 
described in Annex 12(A) to this Report. 
104.  For imports, the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, provided that the 
customs user fee should not exceed 1.5% of the CIF value of the imported goods.  The Customs 
User Fee, which was an administrative fee, applied to all imports at all borders including the 
imports that were exempt from duty payments.  It did not affect diplomatic and UN missions. 
Goods on trans-shipment were not subject to this fee. The Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, empowered the Minister of Fi nance and Development Planning to set a fee 
directly related to the scanning of cargo containers, which had to be proportionate to the length of 
the container and might not exceed US$7 per foot.  
105.  The representative of Liberia added that the Government of Liberia had contracted 
"APM Terminals" to manage the biggest port of Li beria, the Freeport of Monrovia, where more than 
90% of Liberia's trading activities took place. Tari ffs of "APM Terminals" applied at this port, as 
shown in Annex 12(B) to this Report. All other ports were operated by the National Port Authority 
(NPA), which was the regulatory body in charge  of administering ports, with the NPA tariffs 
applied.  Importers of goods into Liberia had to pay cu stoms fees and charges at the NPA ports, as 
shown in Annex 12(D), Annex 12(E) and, Annex 12(F) to this Report.   
106.  The representative of Liberia recognised the need for reducing the number and diversity of 
the fees connected with importation.  He stated  that Liberia intended to bring the fees into 
compliance with the WTO requirements upon th e conclusion of the agreement between the 
Liberian Government and the private firms. 
107.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that , Liberia would bring its fees and charges in 
connection with importation, including customs user  fee, into compliance with Articles VIII and X 
of the GATT 1994, with full compliance occurring no later than 1 August 2017. To this end, laws 
and regulations during the transition period would not be implemented in a manner that resulted 
in a lesser degree of consistency with Article VIII of the GATT 1994 than on the date of accession. 
He further confirmed that, during this transitional period, Liberia would ensure that its laws and regulations concerning fees and charges for services rendered would be applied in a manner 
consistent with other provisions of the WTO Agreement, including on a non-discriminatory basis 
consistent with Articles I and III of the GATT 1994.  He also confirmed that any new laws and 
regulations governing fees in connection with importation established after accession, as well as 
any revisions made to existing fees after accession, would be in conformity with WTO provisions, 
including Article VIII of the GATT 1994, and acco rdingly would not introduce or reintroduce any WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 32 - 
 
  fees or charges for services rendered that were applied to imports on an ad valorem  basis.  
The Working Party took note of these commitments.]   
- Application of internal taxes to imports 
108.  The representative of Liberia said the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011 
(hereinafter: Revenue Code), provided for applicatio n of three types of internal taxes on imports. 
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7% was levied on sale of all goods and services in Liberia, 
domestic and imported.  There was a 10% luxury tax on luxury automobiles and all items of jewellery, regardless of their origin.  Luxury automobiles attracted luxury tax on any automobile 
that was in the class of private passenger new automobiles with minimum value of US$40,000 and 
used automobiles with minimum value of US$20,000.  Excise tax ranging between 5-35% was 
levied on some products including some miscellaneous edible preparations, most beverages, 
spirits, all ores, slags and ash, all mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, 
bituminous substances, mineral waxes, some inorganic chemicals, essential oils and resinoids, 
articles of stone, funfair, table or parlour games.  Details of the products that were subject to 
excise taxes were given in Annex 13 to this Report.  For most of the beverages and spirits, 
imported ones had a higher excise duty than those that were locally produced.  
109.  Members asked how Liberia intended to remove the discrimination between those products 
that were imported and those that were locally produced. 
110.  The representative of Liberia responded that the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as 
Amended in 2011, had addressed the issue of non-discrimination with respect to some products. 
Section 1120 of the Code, on Alcoholic Beverages, stat ed that excise tax, at a rate of 35%, had to 
be levied on all beverages with an alcohol content in excess of one per cent, including beer, wine, 
stout, ale, gin, whisky, bourbon, and other prod ucts intended for consumption by mouth that had 
the requisite alcohol content, whether imported to or produced in Liberia, but not including 
pharmaceutical products or medicinal preparations (for example, cough suppressants or similar 
products) if certified by the Pharmacy Board. Section 1121 of the Code, on Tobacco and Tobacco 
Products, stated that, excise tax at a rate of 35% had to be levied on tobacco and on any product containing tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, and similar products, 
whether imported to or manufactured in Liberia. 
111.  Members noted that, for other commodities, Liberia charged higher excise taxes on 
imports than local products.  This practice appe ared in conflict with Article III of the GATT 1994 
national treatment requirements.  They requested the representative of Liberia to provide further 
information on these excise taxes. 
112.  The representative of Liberia replied that his Government had begun removing the 
discrimination, as evidenced in Section 1120 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 
2011.  A study was conducted on how to align excise tax rates for all other imported and domestic 
products.  Moreover, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was working on 
harmonization of excise tax rates within the region.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 33 - 
 
  113.  Members asked the representative of Liberia to elaborate on the application of excise taxes 
on both imports and domestically produced products, including at what level (e.g., at importation, at point of sale or factory) thes e taxes were applied, and whether excise taxes applied uniformly to 
both domestic and imported goods.  
114.  In response, the representative of Liberia said that excise tax was applied on finished 
excisable products at the point of importation. No excise tax was levied on raw materials for local 
manufacturers. The excise tax on domestic products was charged ex-factory.  Previously, for a few 
domestic products the excise tax rate had been lo wer than that on imported products of the same 
kind. This discrimination, to a large extent, had now been removed through the 2011 amendment 
of the Revenue Code. However, there remained discrimination on a number of products, as 
reflected in Annex 13 to this Report, that was ye t to be corrected. The representative of Liberia 
stated that the Government of Liberia was aware of the discrimination and would remove it by the 
date of accession.  
115.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that from the date of Liberia's accession all laws, 
regulations and other measures relating to internal taxes and charges levied on imports would be 
in full conformity with its WTO obligations, including Article III of GATT 1994, and that it would 
implement such laws, regulations and other measures in full conformity with those obligations.  
The Working Party took note of these commitments.]   
- Quantitative import restrictions, incl uding prohibitions, quotas and licensing 
systems  
116.  The representative of Liberia said that Section 1206 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, 
as Amended in 2011, prohibited importation of all goods, wares, articles and merchandise mined, 
produced or manufactured wholly in any foreign country by convict labour, forced labour or 
indentured labour under penal sanctions.  In addition, it had prohibited importation into Liberia of 
light vehicles that were more than ten years old (since 1 January 2006).  The light vehicles included sedans, buses, pickups, four wheel drive vehicles, and light trucks.  This ban had been 
eliminated by Regulation of the Ministry of  Finance No. 16.14263-2/MOF/R/BCE/14 April 2014.  
Currently, vehicles which were more than ten years old were subject to environmental charge, as 
described in Annex 14 to this Report.  The importation into Liberia of light vehicles that were right-
hand drive, of any age, remained prohibited.  Importation of rice and cement into Liberia was also 
subject to approval by the Government of Liberia.  
117.  Members asked the representative of Liberia to provide a list of products that were 
currently covered by import restrictions or prohibitions and a list of those that might be made 
subject to such restrictions or prohibitions prior to its accession to the WTO. 
118.  The representative of Liberia responded that the following items were currently prohibited 
for import into Liberia:   
-  Right-hand drive vehicles; 
-  Energy drinks under the name of Pussy; WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  - Potassium Bromate; 
- Aldrin; - Chlordan; - Dixxins; 
- Endris; 
- Furans; - Heptachlor; 
- Dieldrun; 
- Mirex; - Toxaphene; - Polychlorinate; 
- DDT; 
- Hexachlorabenzene; and, - Methyl bromide (to be included by 2015 convention). 
Liberia was still in the process of identifying products for restrictions and intended to progressively 
add products to this list in line with international best practices. 
119.  The representative of Liberia said that all importers of certain products from all countries 
were required to obtain an Import Permit Declaration (IPD) to import goods into Liberia.  The list 
of such products, as contained in the Notice of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry No.  
MCI/No.008/05/2013, was reflected in Annex 15 to this Report.  This declaration was a 
requirement under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry's Administrative Notice 
MCI/No.008/05/2013. The Notice required all importers of certain goods to make an entry and specify declaration by the importer (in a prescribed form), giving facts relevant to the 
determination of the value of the goods for cust oms purposes.  According to Liberia President's 
Annual Speech in January 2010, the government had been considering moving away from the 
issuance of Import Permit Declarations. Under the ASYCUDA Programme, the UNCTAD had 
provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to automate the IPDs.   
120.  The representative of Liberia said that, the IPD form was obtained from the MoCI, the 
Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, th e Liberia Revenue Authority, the Liberia Chamber 
of Commerce, and the offices of the inspection company "Bureau Veritas".  The form showed the 
importers' and sellers full name and address, impo rters Tax Identification Number (TIN), country 
of supply, country of shipment, date of shipme nt and number of shipments, means of dispatch, 
port of loading and port of landing.  It also sh owed the cost of the goods being imported in the 
respective currency including the FOB value, insurance, freight costs, total CIF value, any other 
charges, 1.2% of the FOB value, and the terms of payment. It also required the HS code and the 
technical description of the goods; and quantity and the unit price.  
121.  After completing the IPD, the importer paid a Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) service fee at 
the designated bank, which was currently either Global Bank or International Bank. For most of 
the products, the PSI fee was 1.2% of FOB value of imports.  However, since 2006, for bulk 
shipments of rice, the fee had been US$1 per metric tonne; and for petroleum products it had 
been US$2 per metric tonne.  The importer then  submitted the IPD and the PSI fees payment 
receipt to the MoCI for authorization. The appr oval of the IPDs by the MoCI required two 
signatures: (i) Director of Trade or the Deputy Mi nister in charge of Commerce and Trade; and (ii) WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Assistant Minister in charge of Commerce and Tr ade.  The IPD was approved subject to Clean 
Report of Finding (CRF) by "Bureau Veritas" or its affiliate agents (BIVAC Company) as to quantity 
inspection and price comparison.  The IPD was in five copies:  one for the importer, two for the 
MoCI, one for Customs and one copy for BIVAC.  The term of validity of the IPD was six months.   
122.  Members noted that according to Liberia President's Annual Speech in January 2010, the 
Government was considering moving away from the issuance of Import Permit Declarations.  They 
asked the representative of Liberia to inform whether any steps had been taken or were planned 
to be taken as regards the issue of Import Permit Declarations (IPDs). 
123.  The representative of Liberia responded that steps had been taken to minimize the impact 
of the Import Permit Declaration (IPD).  Since 1 October 2010, the IPD had been required only for 
a list of specified products and commodities.  The Government had issued new regulations in subsequent years, and on 12 June 2013, Administrative Notice MCI/No.008/05/2013 had been 
issued, further reducing the list to 17 categories and an updated HS Code list for the specific 
products listed on the regulation.  The list of such products was contained in Annex 15 to this 
Report.  In 2013, UNCTAD had provided technical assistance to automate the IPD in ASYCUDA, 
with the result of system configuration. 
124.  Members appreciated that Liberia was consid ering moving away from the issuance of 
Import Permit Declarations and supported that move so long as more burdensome measures were 
not put in place.  They requested the representati ve of Liberia to clarify the difference between an 
IPD and an import declaration. 
125.  In response, the representative of Liberia said that the difference between an IPD and an 
import declaration was that an IPD (import permit declaration) was the form used by the Ministry 
of Commerce and Industry to monitor importation, whereas the import declaration was the Single 
Administrative Declaration (form) which import ers used to make declarations to Customs. 
126.  A Member asked to clarify the role of Enviro nmental Protection Agency (EPA) and what, if 
any, licensing and inspection requirements applied for.  Members asked to explain how Liberia's 
import licensing procedure for chemicals was in compliance with the WTO, including the WTO 
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.  
127.  The representative of Liberia responded that the EPA operated a National Chemical Control 
Registry which was an Inter-Ministerial Committee sanctioned by a provision of the Act Adopting 
the Environment Protection and Management Law of the Republic of Liberia of 2003 that registered 
and permitted the importation of all chemicals into the country that were or had the potential to 
become pollutants when released into the environment.  There was a Memorandum of 
Understanding between the MoCI and the EPA establishing a Licensing System that made a permit 
or licence a requirement for importation of hazardous substances and chemicals.  A permit from 
the Environmental Protection Agency was a pr e-requisite for obtaining an Import Permit 
Declaration (IPD) at the MoCI.  This process allowe d all chemicals to be registered and screened in WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  advance of being imported.  For petroleum products , an additional permit was also required from 
the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC).  The representative of Liberia acknowledged that this was likely to be a burden to importers.  The Government of Liberia was reviewing these import 
licensing procedures.  However, chemicals did require non-automatic licenses.  
128.  Members noted that petroleum, cement and rice importers had to apply for authorization 
to import from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), and that these sectors were 
monitored.  They asked to clarify what was entailed in the authorization process and what was the 
nature of such monitoring. 
129.  The representative of Liberia said that his government monitored importation of rice and 
cement but did not control them. The minimum requirements for importation of cement were 
as follows: 
- new entrants had to have a current business registration for the fiscal year of operation; 
- a cement sample with a minimum grade standard of 42.5R had to be submitted prior 
to importation; 
- the importer had to have an available storage facility with a minimum storage capacity of 
10,000 metric tonnes; and, 
- new entrants had to submit a list of distributors/retailers regarding the sale/distribution 
of cement. 
130.  In the past, the Liberia Cement Company, CEMENCO, had enjoyed exclusivity over the 
manufacturing and importation of cement that had been supported by the imposition of a protective tariff of US$2.00 per bag on imported cement by the past Liberian administration. 
However, in 2006, by a Presidential Executive Order, the cement market had been liberalized and 
the tariff of US$2.00/bag had been suspended. The same Executive Order eliminated the 
monopoly of CEMENCO.  Currently, Liberia had the following cement companies: CEMENCO, Fouta 
Corporation, Monco Liberia Ltd., Fortress, Unit ed Commodities, Srimex Enterprises, Inc. and 
others. 
131.  The Government of Liberia monitored imports of petroleum products.  Prior to Liberia's 
application for accession to the WTO, the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) had been 
the only public corporation established by legislative act with the sole right to import, distribute and grant franchise to any person or business establishment with the expressed desire to sell 
petroleum products on the Liberian market.  Following the decline of LPRC infrastructure in 
the 1980s, and its inability to perform its statutory obligation as the sole importer of petroleum 
products, the management then had begun delegating its statutory responsibilities to private 
entities wishing to import petroleum products.  LPRC storage tanks and oil jetties had been in a 
debilitating condition, with limited storage capacity to handle the multiple requests from local 
importers to import refined products.  So, the management had introduced import schedules to 
afford everyone the opportunity to import.  Understanding fully the magnitude of the storage 
constraints and the overwhelming demand at the LPRC Oil Jetty, Total Liberia Inc. had put forth a 
proposal to the management of Liberia to construct its own oil terminal to mitigate the problem.  
Importation Requirements for Petroleum Products were as follows: WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  - current business registration for FY of operation; 
- non-refundable, non-transferable petroleu m import licence fee of US$125,000 annually for 
100% foreign firms, US$75,000 for shared ownership (not less than 40% ownership by Liberian), and US$50,000 for Liberian firms to  the management of LPRC for importers of 
petroleum products into Liberia; and, 
- for importers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), annual importat ion fee of US$7,000;  
distributors, it was US$7,000.00, and for those importing lubricant, it was US$3,500.00 
annually.  
The representative of Liberia recognized that th e discriminatory element in this regulation would 
need to be eliminated. 
132.  The Government of Liberia monitored the importation of rice because of the 1979 rice 
riots.  Rice was Liberia's staple diet and, with 64% of the population living below the poverty line, 
it was the Government's policy to ensure its availability and affordability to the average Liberian.  
In this fragile environment, rice was considered a "politically sensitive" commodity.  The rice 
market was not restricted as it had been in the past. Currently, there were seven rice importers in 
Liberia: Supply West Africa Trading (SWAT), United Commodities Inc. (UCI), Fouta Corporation, Harmony Trading, Mila Community, Abranata and Sons Inc., and K & K Trading Co.  The market 
share by any of the rice importers depended on the competitive prices offered.  There was no 
longer any import quota.  The Ministry of Comme rce and Industry monitored the rice market to: 
- ensure rice price affordability on the local market vis-à-vis the world market price; 
- discourage illicit trading to avoid market saturation, arbitrary price hikes, hoarding 
and smuggling; 
- ensure that rice importers had in-country stock for three to four months at all times; and, 
- ensure acceptable import quality, quantities and diversifying of import sources. 
133.  Additionally, all rice importers were to meet the following requirements: 
- business registration current for the fiscal year of operation; 
- warehouse capacity of not less than 10,000 metric tonnes; - submit a list of distributors/sellers of rice; 
- establish a distribution chain of at least five of the leeward counties of Liberia; and, 
- submit a sample of rice prior to importation with the minimum grade standard of 5% to 
25% broken. 
134.  Members noted that Liberia continued to monitor the importation of rice as a "politically 
sensitive" commodity.  According to recent IMF analysis, the decrease in the world market price during 2011 had not been passed through customers on the Liberian market, which did not seem 
in line with the intentions of the monitoring po licy of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.  
This rigidity of rice prices in Liberia might point to "product market distortions" in this market.  
Given the impact of the rice price on the urban poor, and the political sensitivity of rice for the 
country, Members asked whether Liberia was planning to analyse if the requirements for rice 
importers (e.g. warehouse capacity of not less th an 10,000 metric tonnes) could have the impact 
of de facto  excluding smaller businesses from this market and effectively preserving an oligopoly, 
and address the competition issues in the import food market. 
135.  Members asked the representative of Liberia to explain the administrative procedures 
which the Government of Liberia used to monitor the rice industry.  They asked to explain why rice WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  importers were required to submit a list of distributors/sellers and had warehouse capacity of not 
less than 10,000 metric tonnes. 
136.  The representative of Liberia responded that  having large warehouses made Government 
inspections easier and more economical than having many smaller warehousing facilities.  
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry allowed smaller importers to jointly arrange for sufficient 
amount of warehouse capacity provided they had capital to sustain the market. In response to 
Members' reference to the analysis by the IMF, the representative of Liberia added that, in his 
view, the "product market distortions" in the rice market were, currently, beyond his 
Government's control.  The Government believed that the situation could be addressed by 
strengthening the legislative provisions on competition. The Government was aware the provisions 
on anti-competitive behaviour in Title 14 of the Liberia Code of Law Revised ("General Business Law") were not sufficient to tackle the "product market distortions".  In this light, a Competition 
Law had been drafted, which was now awaiting enac tment by the Legislature, to address any anti-
competitive practices in the Liberian market, including the rice market. 
137.  For the purposes of monitoring the quality and supply of rice, Liberia required importers of 
rice to write directly to the Minister of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) to receive authorization to 
import rice.  The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had instituted these rules in order to 
continuously monitor the quality of rice in the country and to ensure that supply did not drop 
below 3 months of import covered.  If supply did drop, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 
would invite importers to a meeting to discuss the increase in future import volumes.  
138.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that Liberia would eliminate from the date of 
accession, and would not introduce, reintroduce or apply quantitative restrictions on imports or 
other non-tariff measures such as quotas, bans, permits, prior authorization requirements, 
licensing requirements or other requirements or restrictions having equivalent effect that could not 
be justified under the provisions of the WTO Agreement.  The import licensing regime from the 
date of accession would be fully in accordance with all relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement, 
including the Agreement on Import Licensing Proc edures.  He further confirmed that the legal 
authority of the Government of Liberia to suspend imports or to apply licensing requirements that 
could be used to suspend, ban or otherwise restri ct the quantity of trade would be applied from 
the date of accession in conformity with the provisions of WTO Agreement, including the 
GATT 1994, the Agreements on Import Lice nsing Procedures and Safeguards, and the 
Understanding on Balance-of-Payments Provisions of the GATT 1994.  The Working Party took note 
of these commitments.] 
- Customs valuation 
139.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia used the Brussels Definition of Value (BDV).  
It did not apply the WTO valuation methods set out in Article VII of the GATT 1994 and the WTO 
Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of  the GATT 1994 (hereinafter: Customs Valuation 
Agreement).  The Government of Liberia had draf ted the necessary amendments to its legislation WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  on customs valuation in preparation for WTO accession, as part of the draft Customs Code, and 
submitted them to the Le gislature for enactment. 
140.  Customs valuation in Liberia was currently based on the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as 
Amended in 2011.  According to the Code, the value of any imported good was taken to be the 
normal price.  This was the price that the goods would fetch at the time of their sale in the open 
market between a seller and a buyer independent of  each other.  Determination of the normal 
price took into account all the costs and charges up to the point of entry into Liberia (CIF), but did 
not include the duties and taxes paid domestically, because it assumed that such charges were 
born by the buyer.  
141.  Customs valuation of exported goods for which there was no specific value fixed by law for 
the purposes of levying duties was provided for by the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended 
in 2011.  An ad valorem  duty was assessed by taking the market value of the goods at the place of 
exportation at the export time.  The market value was taken as the price at which the exported 
goods were freely sold to a purchaser abroad, or in absence of such sales, offered for ordinary 
course of trade at the place of export.  The ma rket value included the cost of containers and 
coverings and all owner costs, charges and expens es incurred at the place of export before the 
goods were shipped. 
142.  The representative of Liberia added that in the draft Customs Code, mentioned in 
paragraph [139], it was recognized that understanding of the WTO rules on customs valuation was 
crucial to the application of the Code.  The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning intended to provide across-the-board training of Liberia's customs officials, brokers, and other key 
stakeholders on Liberia's new, WTO-consistent, customs valuation process.  
143.  Members noted the statement of the repres entative of Liberia that currently his 
Government did not apply the valuation methods set out in Article VII of the GATT 1994 and the 
Customs Valuation Agreement. Members asked to provide more information about the status of 
the newly-developed WTO-consistent legislation on customs valuation and the time-frame for its 
implementation.  
144.  The representative of Liberia responded that the new Customs Code had been drafted and 
was pending enactment by the Legislature.  It wa s envisaged that Legislature would enact the new 
Customs Code in 2015.  The representative of Li beria recognized that the provisions of the 
Customs Valuation Agreement were fully reflected in the draft Customs Code.  The draft Customs 
Code would be modified, before adoption, to reflect all provisions of the Customs Valuation 
Agreement, including those contained in Annex I to the Agreement (Interpretative Notes).  
145.  [The representative of Liberia stated that legislation on the valuation of imports for 
customs and taxation purposes conforming to the requirements of the Agreement on 
Implementation of Article VII of the GATT 1994 woul d be enacted prior to Liberia's accession to the 
WTO.  Liberia would implement the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the GATT 1994 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 40 - 
 
  and Annex I to it (Interpretative Notes) from the date of accession.  Liberia would also apply 
Decision 3.1 of the Committee on Customs Valuation (Treatment of Interest Charges in the Customs Value of Imported Goods) and paragraph 2 of the Decision on Valuation of Carrier Media 
Bearing Software for Data Processing Equipment (Decision 4.1).  The Working Party took note of 
these commitments.]  
- Rules of origin 
146.  The representative of Liberia said there was no legislation on rules of origin in Liberia.  
The national rules of origin had been developed under the draft Customs Code, in line with the 
WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin.  Currently, the only rules of origin regime which were 
applicable to Liberia were the one of the Mano River Union (MRU).  Upon the implementation of 
ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), Liberia would also be implementing ECOWAS Rules 
of Origin.  The Rules of Origin provided in the draft Customs Code were in alignment of ECOWAS 
Rules of Origin. Liberia was also engaged in the on-going ECOWAS-EU Economic Partnership 
Agreements negotiations.  When this process was completed, it was expected that the country 
would apply the EU-EPA rules of origin regime.  Li beria had also been approved to benefit from the 
Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) and would therefore need to implement the preferential 
rules of origin requirements for AGOA.   
147.  The representative of Liberia added that the draft Customs Code, which was envisaged to 
be enacted by the Legislature in 2015, did not fully reflect the provisions of the WTO Agreement 
on Rules of Origin.  The draft Customs Code would be modified, before adoption, to reflect all 
provisions of this Agreement. 
148.  [The representative of Liberia stated that, from  the date of Liberia's accession, its laws and 
regulations for preferential and non-preferential  rules of origin would comply fully with the 
WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin.  He further confirmed that Liberia's rules of origin would be 
established in law and notified to the WTO Secretariat and the Committee on Rules of Origin by the 
time of accession.  The requirements of Article 2(h) and Annex II, Paragraph 3(d) of 
the Agreement would be fully implemented upon accession.  He also stated that, upon accession, the Customs Authorities would provide for an assessment of the origin of the import upon the 
request of an exporter, importer or any person with a justifiable cause.  Any request for such an 
assessment would be accepted even before trad e in the goods concerned began.  Any such 
assessment would be binding for three years.  The Working Party took note of these 
commitments.]  
- Other customs formalities  
149.  The representative of Liberia said that the customs formalities required under the Liberia 
Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, were based on procedures and guidelines provided 
by the International Convention on Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures 
(Kyoto Convention) administered by the World Customs Organization (WCO).  Liberia was, 
however, not a contracting party to the Kyoto Convention.  The Code required that for entry and WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 41 - 
 
  examination of imported goods, the importer had to make a declaration to customs, accompanied 
by documents which included: (i) Import Permit Declaration (IPD), where applicable; (ii) a report of findings for pre-shipment inspected consignments issued by the pre-shipment agent; (iii) an 
invoice; and, (iv) a payment of all applicable duties and taxes before release of the goods. 
150.  The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning had begun the process of modernizing 
the customs operations. In 2009, with funding fr om the African Development Bank, it had begun 
implementing the Automated System for Custom s Data (ASYCUDA), to enhance the customs 
clearing process at the Freeport of Monrovia.  It  had opened a One-Stop-Shop at the largest port 
of entry (the Freeport of Monrovia) bringing under  one structure, in harmonized operations, the 
Customs Freeport Collectorate, a Central Bank tax payment window, a private bank, BIVAC, and 
the National Port Authority.  This system had streamlined the customs clearing process, thereby 
facilitating a freer flow of international commerce and reducing business clearing cost with positive 
impact on economic growth.  Similar automation systems had additionally rolled out to: (i) two sea 
ports; (ii) the petroleum port; (iii) the mineral port; (iv) the parcel post office; (v) two airports; 
and, (vi) four land border ports.  In addition, the Domestic Tax Department of the Liberia Revenue 
Authority had implemented, under its modernization plan, automated processes in 2010 by 
installing the Integrated Tax Administration Syst em (ITAS) which had later migrated to SITAS. 
The installation of these systems was an important element in the Government's plan for enhanced 
transparency and accountability.  
151.  The new custom processes could be categorized into eleven steps: 
(i)  Pre-arrival information and profiling: 
The shipping lines sent advance cargo information electronically to Customs. Customs might use 
the pre-arrival information for risk profiling and targeting.  This information might feed into the 
clearance process directly or might be used for future profiling purposes and statistical analysis.  
The consignee provided the broker with all relevant documents which included but was not limited 
to the Clean Report of Finding (C RF), bill of lading, the invoice and the packing list and so on;  
(ii) Arrival of vessel: 
On arrival of the vessel, the cargo was offloaded an d placed in the Port premises.  The captain of 
the vessel submitted the Manifest to the Wharfinger (Customs officer) to confirm arrival of cargo. 
The boarding team carried out their due inspections of the vessel and report their findings to the 
Wharfinger where applicable.  The Shipping line in collaboration with National Ports Authority 
(NPA) conducted the tally of the arrived cargo.  The shipping line amended and stores the 
electronic manifest in AW to include any additions or subtractions to the manifest before sending it 
to Customs for final validation. Customs then validated the electronic manifest in preparation for the Broker's usage; WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  (iii) Brokers preparation: 
The Broker proceeded to capture and register the declaration (IM4 or IM5 or IM6) ensuring that all 
fields relevant to the type of declaration are filled in correctly to avoid any queries that might delay 
the process.  All supporting documents relevant to the regime of the declaration had to be 
attached to the declaration ready for submission to customs; 
(iv) Lodgement: 
The broker then lodged the entry with the Customs.  Entries that were received at this point 
require to had been registered in ASYCUDA World.  Receipt of the entry at the Lodgement section 
marked the official receipt of the entry document into customs control.  Once received the entry 
should always remained within customs control and was never subsequently returned to the agent 
until at the distribution stage; 
(v) Selectivity: 
On presentation, all entries were subjected to checks which aim at ensuring that:  (i) the form was 
legible and complied with the requirements for a computer generated entry; (ii) the entry had 
been properly completed, e.g., signed and date d; and (iii) the appropriate supporting documents 
were attached.  If errors were identified in the entry, the documents were referred to the broker.  
If there were no queries on the entry, it was passed to the next stage of processing, selectivity at 
assessment. The Assessment section was the hub of entry processing.  The Assessment Officer 
received the entry package and called the entry on the screen using the Goods Clearance module. 
Once the entry was identified, the Assessment Officer activated the Assessment facility in 
ASYCUDA World.  This action triggered the system's selectivity and, as a consequence, entries were automatically routed to either of four lanes: (i) Green Lane: no selection - entry might be 
released without further scrutiny; (ii) Yellow Lane: selected for documentary check; (iii) Red Lane:  
selected for physical examination; and (iv) Blue Lane: selected for post clearance action, but entry 
may be released. After completion of documentary check or physical examination, entries were 
taken through the step of final assessment. On ce duties, taxes and any other fees had been 
assessed, the Assessment officer would print an assessment notice and give it to the Broker. 
The CRF might be examined using risk management principles; 
(vi) Queries and amendment: 
This function was concerned with the treatment of entries that were found to be in error at any of 
the functional areas in the clearing process. The query and amendment function controlled the 
transmission of error advices to the broker and al so all subsequent amendments to the entry data 
and conducts final assessment; 
(vii) Payment: 
The broker obtained a manager's cheque from a commercial bank, and submitted it to the Central 
Bank for payment of duty.  On receipt of the pa yment, the Central Bank input the payment details WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 43 - 
 
  into the ASYCUDA World system and on validation prints a receipt to confirm payment and pass it 
to the broker.  The broker submitted the receipt to  the Customs officer in preparation for release; 
(viii)  Release: 
When all Customs formalities were completed including confirmation of payment, the Customs 
release officer would issue a printed Release Order to the appropriate broker.  Distribution of 
documents would be maintained and a Customs officer dedicated to this function was responsible 
for physically distributing the document copies th at were retained by Customs and those that were 
delivered to other stakeholders.  In addition, the officer was also responsible for passing entries 
originally routed to the Green lane and Blue lane to the Post Clearance Audit section;  
(ix) Post Clearance Audit: 
The Post Clearance Audit function was responsible for the performance of an off-line verification of 
the Green lane and Blue lane entries, after the go ods have been released.  On completion of this 
action the entry was forwarded to the Archives Section.  In addition, PCA was responsible for a 
percentage check of yellow and red cleared entries to provide quality assurance of the system risk 
management profiles.   
(x) The NPA Process: 
The National Ports Authority (NPA) obtained delivery order from the shipping line and prepared 
bills for payment of port charges.  The broker to ok bills to the bank, paid and then took deposit 
slip to obtain official receipt from NP A. Finally the NPA prepared a gate pass. 
(xi) Exit: 
On completion of all processes related to Customs and other stakeholders, an exit note was issued 
from ASYCUDA World by the officer at the exit gate.  Together with the gate pass, the exit note 
was presented to the Exit gate officers/stakeholders like NPA to allow the vehicles/cargo exit the 
premises of Customs. 
152.  Members noted that similar automation systems were to be extended to other customs 
points in 2010 and asked for an update on the status of this project. 
153.  The representative of Liberia responded that ASYCUDA World was operational at three 
locations as of 2010: the Monrovia Seaport, th e Roberts International Airport (RIA), and the 
Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) port . Twelve of Liberia's customs ports had been 
automated with ASYCUDA World.  Work was under way to expand ASYCUDA to the remaining five 
customs ports in Liberia. 
154.  Members asked for a clarification whether the eleven steps that characterized the new 
customs process had to be done sequentially or whether some of them could be done concurrently 
(for instance, whether the broker could prepar e the documents prior to the goods arrival). WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 44 - 
 
  155.  The representative of Liberia responded that some of the processes would be done 
concurrently. In fact, some of the steps were not applicable for certain clearance regimes. For example, the eleven steps were not needed for a warehousing regime, and a transit/trans-
shipment regime.  He also stated that brokers could make pre-arrival declarations since shipping 
lines were submitting manifests and bills of lading prior to vessels' arrival. 
156.  Members noted that Liberian customs might use the pre-arrival information for risk 
profiling and targeting.  They asked the repres entative of Liberia please explain under which 
circumstances the pre-arrival information was not used. 
157.  The representative of Liberia clarified that pre-arrival information was used in every 
transaction.  Based on the pre-arrival information, the customs level of intervention (risk 
assessment) could be determined to be either high or low.  This decision was based on information 
obtained prior to the arrival of the goods or from historical data available. 
158.  Members also asked whether the use of brokers was mandatory and what were the 
eligibility requirements for brokers, if any. 
159.  The representative of Liberia emphasized that the use of a broker was not mandatory.  
Section 1500 of Chapter 15 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, required 
that customs brokers must be persons of good mora l character. No person could transact business 
as a customs broker without a licence granted in accordance with the provisions of the Code.  
The provisions of the Code were construed to authorize the requiring of a licence in the case of any 
person transacting as a customhouse business pertaining to his own importations. The licence of any customs broker, shown to be incompetent, disreputable, or who had, with intent, defraud, in 
any manner wilfully and knowingly deceived, misled, or threatened any importer, exporter, 
claimant, or client, actual or prospective, by word, circular, letter, or by advertisement, could be 
revoked or suspended by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning. Such revocation had 
to be preceded by a hearing and an investigation.  Such revocation could be protested or appealed 
to the Board of Tax Appeal (BOTA) or any competent court of jurisdiction.   
160.  Members asked to describe what criteria were used to determine which lane (Green, 
Yellow, Red, Blue) a product was placed in. 
161.  The representative of Liberia responded that Liberia's risk criteria were based mainly on 
five factors as follows: 
(i) importers compliance record:  
Prior to automation, Customs conducted 100% physical inspection/examination on all 
consignments except those for diplomatic missions, INGOs and such importers.  As a result of 
these inspections, Customs was able to establish a compliance record for all importers thus 
identifying risk levels of all importers; WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  (ii)  type of commodity:   
The 100% examination provided customs information of the kind of commodities with high risk not 
only for revenue fraud but also fo r health and security concerns; 
(iii)  importer's agent/broker's record:   
By the same exercise Customs was able to establish a compliance record of importers and 
brokers/agents; 
(iv)  country of origin/export:   
The same exercise provided Customs with statistics that show which countries of export had 
discrepancies of risky levels; 
(v) intelligence:   
Some criteria are based on intelligence.  The risk level established through each or the 
combination of any of the above determines the risk criteria (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green). 
162.  Members asked to confirm if Liberia had a guarantee or surety system in place.  
The representative of Liberia so confirmed.  
163.  Members asked what criteria, at the stage of post clearance audit, were used to determine 
whether a product had to undergoes PCA, and what was meant by "off-line verification" and 
"Archives Section". 
164.  The representative of Liberia confirmed that the criteria used to determine whether a 
product went under Post Clearance Audit (PCA) were: (i) consignment must be pre-shipment inspection (PSI) compliant; (ii) value of the goods; (iii) nature of the goods; (iv) country of origin 
of the goods; (v) risk level of the consignee and/or broker; and (vi) volume of import.  Blue Lane 
declarations were subject to post clearance audit.  The term "off-line verification" stood for 
verification after the consignment has been released from Customs control.  The "Archives 
Sections" was the area in which all hard copies of processed customs declarations from the 
Freeport Collector of Customs were kept for the statutory period. 
165.  Members asked the representative of Liberia to describe the amount and services rendered 
and any port charges as part of the NPA process.  The representative of Liberia responded that all 
ports, with the exception of the Freeport of Monr ovia which was operated by APM Terminals, were 
administered by the NPA. For services and charges at the NPA ports, he referred to Annex 12(D), 
Annex 12(E) and Annex 12(F) of this Report.  
- Preshipment inspection 
166.  The representative of Liberia said the Revenue Code of Liberia provided for the 
examination of both exports and imports by the Customs.  Due to the limited capacity of the 
Customs to undertake the examination and inspection  functions, these had been contracted out.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  The Government of Liberia required pre-shipment  Inspection (PSI) for all imports (and some 
exports).3 Petroleum products were subject to destination inspection. Currently PSI for all products 
(except for logs) was undertaken by BIVAC International (Bureau Veritas Group).  PSI for logs was 
undertaken by SGS (Société Générale de Surveilla nce).  BIVAC had a liaison office in Monrovia 
Liberia. It had a total of 51 staff, some based in the Office in Monrovia and other staff based in 
other five border points in Liberia.  PSI was conducted by regional BIVAC centres in various parts 
of the world.  
167.  PSI was required for goods of FOB value of equal to or exceeding US$3,500, as threshold 
for imports by sea, and US$1,500, as threshold for imports by air and land borders.  The importer 
submitted the authorized import permit declaratio n (IPD) and three copies of the pro forma invoice 
and the bank receipt payment slip (receipt showing payment of BIVAC fee) to BIVAC liaison office in Monrovia.  BIVAC then electronically transm itted the IPD (now the Pre-shipment Inspection 
Order, PIO) to the appropriate Bureau Veritas Re gional Centre overseas depending on the country 
of supply of the imports.  The regional centre th en sent an email or a fax correspondence to the 
seller asking for the technical details of the goods, a copy of the pro forma invoice, the location 
and the date when the goods would be available fo r inspection.  Physical inspection of the goods 
was then undertaken by the regional centre, in pres ence of the seller with the aim of ensuring that 
the description corresponds to the details on the IPD and the pro-forma invoice.  In cases where 
IPD was not required and the consignment was not exempt from PSI, the importer requested for 
inspection to BIVAC through a predesigned form fo r such request.  Inspection was particularly 
done to establish the quantity and price description of the goods.  An inspectors' report was 
therefore issued.  
168.  The regional centre used the inspectors' report to determine the correct customs 
classification code for goods which had been physically inspected.  Based on the final commercial 
invoice provided by the seller, the Centre performed a final price analysis and calculates the value 
for duty purposes.  If the quantity, quality, specification and price were found to conform or had 
been corrected (if there was a discrepancy), the regional Centre issues a Clean Report of Finding 
(CRF).  The CRF was electronically transmitted to the BIVAC Liaison Office in Monrovia, which 
delivered the printed documents to the importer.  The importer submitted this CRF to the customs 
for the clearance and goods delivery. 
169.  Products exempted from PSI included: (i) goods imported with a FOB value 
below US$3,500; (ii) reasonable amount of personal effects and household items; (iii) supplies for 
diplomatic missions and, United Nations Organi zations; (iv) gold and precious stones; (v) 
explosives, pyrotechnic products, arms and ammunitions, weapons and implements of war 
imported by the Liberian armed forces and Liberian Police Service; (vi) fresh fish caught by locally 
in Liberia waters; and, (vii) goods imported by parcel post not exceeding US$1,500. 
                                               
3 The PSI requirement for exports was only for mi nerals and forest products, excluding gold and 
diamond. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  170.  The representative of Liberia said that the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 
2011, in his view, provided for the preshipment inspec tion fees to cover the cost of PSI services at 
ports and airports.  The Code gave the Minister of Finance and Development Planning authority to 
set and prescribe in a regulation this fee, which was to be paid to the collector in charge.  The PSI 
fees paid for imports currently was shown in the Annex 16 to this Report.  
 
171.  Members noted that PSI was currently required for all goods over US$3,500.  The asked if 
Liberia was considering moving away from or reducing its use of Pre-Shipment Inspection.  
They asked if Liberia ensured or planned to ensure  that its pre-shipment inspection requirements 
conformed to the requirements of the WTO Agreem ent on Pre-shipment Inspection and other WTO 
Agreements.  
172.  The representative of Liberia responded that the Government of Liberia had retendered the 
PSI contact which had been won by BIVAC.  Th e current agreement between the pre-shipment 
inspection company and Government of Liberia was for three years beginning from July 2012. 
Should Liberia extend the current agreement or enter another agreement, the government would 
ensure that it was in full compliance with the WTO rules on pre-shipment inspection. 
173.  Members requested the representative of Liberia to clarify how price comparisons were 
used and if they were used to determine whether the declared value of goods was valid.  
The representative of Liberia said that, in order to validate whether the declared price of a good 
was valid, Customs currently used the BIVAC verification data base as reference.  Liberia was aware that it would need to adjust its customs valuation procedures in order to accede to the 
WTO, and this was reflected in the draft Customs Code.  The draft Customs Code was now with the 
Legislature awaiting enactment.  
174.  [The representative of Liberia stated that the pre-shipment inspection requirements would 
be temporary and in conformity with the re quirements of the Agreement on Preshipment 
Inspection and other relevant WTO Agreements.  Li beria would take full responsibility to ensure 
that such enterprises operating on its behalf complied with the provisions of WTO Agreements 
including the Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade, the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures, Import Licensing Procedures , the Implementation of Article VII, Rules of 
Origin, the Implementation of Article VI (Antidumping), Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, 
Safeguards, and Agriculture.  The establishment of charges and fees would be consistent with 
Article VIII of the GATT 1994, no later than 1 Au gust 2017. From the date of accession, Liberia 
would ensure that the due process and transpar ency requirements of the WTO Agreements, in 
particular Article X of the GATT 1994 would be applie d.  Decisions by such firms could be appealed 
by importers in the same way as administrative decisions taken by the Government of Liberia.  
The Working Party took note of these commitments.] WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  - Anti-dumping, countervailing duties, safeguard regimes 
175.  The representative of Liberia said that the an ti-dumping regime of Liberia was provided for 
in the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amende d in 2011.  Under the Code, the Minister of 
Finance and Development Planning could prescribe an  increase or decrease in the rate of customs 
duty applicable to goods whose import had been co nfirmed to cause injury to a domestic industry.  
The decision of the Minister would be taken after consultation with his/her Deputy Minister for 
Fiscal Affairs and the Minister of Commerce and Industry, and after an investigation had been 
carried out to ascertain injuries caused by the importations.  Currently, anti-dumping procedures 
in Liberia were not based on or follow the WTO rules.  
176.  Members expressed concern that anti-dumping procedures in Liberia were not based on or 
follow the WTO rules. They requested the representa tive of Liberia to submit the reform plan in 
order to bring Liberia's legislation in compliance with WTO rules.  Members sought a commitment 
from Liberia that should Liberia decided to adopt and enact trade remedy laws, they would be in 
conformity with the WTO Agreement and, Member s would be granted access to the draft anti-
dumping legislation prior to its enactment.  The representative of Liberia responded that currently, 
Liberia had no trade remedy measures in place. 
177.  Asked whether Liberia had any plans to adopt new, WTO-consistent, provisions for anti-
dumping measures, the representative of Liberia confirmed that, upon accession,  Liberia would 
not impose any trade remedy measures before being bound by a trade remedy legislation that was 
consistent with the WTO rules and before such legislation would be notified to Members.  As of the 
date Liberia implemented the ECOWAS Common Extern al Tariffs (CET), Liberia would be bound by 
ECOWAS' trade remedy legislation, including anti-d umping, anti-subsidy and safeguard legislation. 
The ECOWAS trade remedy legislation would be no tified to the WTO Secretariat by ECOWAS along 
with the remaining provisions of the Common Exte r n a l  T a r i f f  o f  t h e  E C O W A S  ( C E T ) .  A s  o f  y e t ,  
Liberia relied on ECOWAS trade defence measures. 
178.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that, should the Government of Liberia decide to 
enact a Safeguard, Anti-dumping or Countervailing Duty Law, Members would be notified, and the legislation would be in conformity with the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, the WTO Agreement 
on the Implementation of Article VI of the GATT, and the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and 
Countervailing Measures.  The Working Party took note of this commitment.] 
179.  The representative of Liberia informed that countervailing duty regime was provided for in 
Section 1201 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011.  This legislation provided 
for imposition of new and additional duties on fo reign goods as remedies as a way of Presidential 
action.  The President was authorized to proclaim and declare those duties if he/she determined 
they would be in the public interest.  If the co untry continued to discriminate against Liberia, the 
President could ban imports of all products from the respective country.  This was to be done after 
determining that the country of origin of the imported goods imposes directly or indirectly on 
Liberian goods an unreasonable charge, exaction, regulation or limitation which was not equally WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  enforced on like goods of other foreign countries, and when the country directly or indirectly 
discriminated against the commerce of Liberia by law, administrative regulation or practice. 
180.  Members asked for more details about the system of Presidential authorization and how it 
was determined that new and additional duties on  foreign goods were in the public interest.  
Members requested Liberia to clarify whether the President could only impose countervailing duties 
in instances where the duties were determined to be in the public interest and, if so, to describe 
the criteria for such a determination.  In response, the representative of Liberia said that 
Presidential authorization had never been used to levy countervailing duties. The determination 
that the Presidential authorization was in public interest, depended on the matter which the 
authorization intended to address.  The Govern ment of Liberia was aware that the existing 
Liberia's rules on the introduction of the counterva iling duties had a discretionary element. For this 
reason, these rules were planned to be removed, through the amendment of Part I of the Liberia 
Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011.  He also referred to his reply on anti-dumping 
measures in paragraph [177] of this Report.  If Liberia would want to introduce trade defence 
measures (particularly, countervailing duties), they would be implemented through the regional 
(ECOWAS) arrangement and not Presidential authorization.  
181.  The representative of Liberia also informed th at Liberia had no formal safeguard regime.  
Safeguard measures had never been applied in Liberia.  
182.  Members urged Liberia to base its trade remedy regimes on WTO rules and make the 
necessary changes in its regimes as soon as possible.  This would include, but would not be limited to, requiring there to be an investigation into whether goods were dumped or subsidized, whether 
there was material injury suffered by the domestic  industry, and whether there was a causal link 
between the dumped or subsidized imports and th e injury experienced.  Liberia would need to 
conduct its trade remedy proceedings consistent with all provisions of the WTO Anti-dumping 
Agreement and the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.  
Members requested the representative of Liberia to clarify Liberia's position on conducting 
safeguard proceedings in compliance with WTO obligations under the WTO Agreement on 
Safeguards.  In response, the representative of Liberia said that, should a safeguard measure be 
necessary, it would be introduced by the ECOWAS Commission. 
183.   [The representative of Liberia confirmed that Liberia would apply safeguard, 
anti-dumping, or countervailing duty measures only after notifying and implementing laws in conformity with the provisions of WTO Agreements on Safeguards, the Implementation of 
Article VI of the GATT, and on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and that after accession 
Liberia would apply any such measures only in conformity with the relevant WTO provisions.  
The Working Party took note of these commitments.] WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  B. EXPORT REGULATIONS 
- Customs tariffs, fees and charges for serv ices rendered, application of internal 
taxes to exports  
184.  The representative of Liberia said that the Liberian Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 
2011 provided for duty free for exports of finished/processed goods from Liberia.  Regarding 
semi-processed goods, the Code levied a customs user fee (an administrate fee), not exceeding 
1.25% of the FOB.  With respect to unprocessed an d trans-shipment of export goods, he informed 
that the Code levied a customs user fee (an admi nistrative fee), not exceeding 2.5% of FOB, and 
CIF, respectively.  He clarified that currently, th e Government of Liberia levied the maximum rate 
of the customs user fees for exports, stipulat ed in the Code, as reflected in Annex 17 to 
this Report.   
185.  The list of port fees and charges connected with exportation was contained in Annex 
12(C), Annex 12(D), Annex 12(E), and Annex 12(F) of this Report. Excluding the Freeport of 
Monrovia whose fees were set by APM Terminals,  other functional ports were managed by the 
National Port Authority (NPA).  
186.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that  Liberia would bring its fees and charges in 
connection with exportation, including customs user fee, into compliance with Articles VIII and X of 
the GATT 1994, with full compliance occurring no later than 1 August 2017.  To this end, laws and regulations during the transition period would no t be implemented in a manner that resulted in a 
lesser degree of consistency with Article VIII of  the GATT 1994 than on the date of accession. 
He further confirmed that, during this transitional period, Liberia would ensure that its laws and 
regulations concerning fees and charges for services connected with exportation would be applied 
in a manner consistent with other provisions of the WTO Agreement, including on a non-
discriminatory basis consistent with Articles I and III of the GATT 1994.  He also confirmed that 
any new laws and regulations governing fees in connection with exportation established after 
accession, as well as any revisions made to existing fees after accession, would be in conformity 
with WTO provisions, including Article VIII of the GATT 1994, and accordingly would not introduce 
or reintroduce any fees or charges for services rendered that were applied to exports on an 
ad valorem  basis.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
- Export restrictions 
187.  The representative of Liberia said that export regulations were provided for in the Liberian 
Revenue Code of 2000, as amended in 2011. All exporting firms had to be businesses registered in 
Liberia (as required by the Investment Act of 2010), as described in Section "Registration 
requirements for import/export operations; Trading rights" of this Report, and should, for four 
products (rice, petroleum, cement and pharmaceuticals), obtain an Export Permit 
Declaration (EPD), as specified in Administrative Notice of the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry MCI/No.006/06/2012.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  188.  Asked whether the export permit declaration (EPD) could be considered as an automatic 
export licence, the representative of Liberia sa id that Liberia considered the Export Permit 
Declaration (EPD) as a non-automatic licence.  Th e purpose of the export permit declaration was 
to monitor export performance and to provide technical advice on which sector(s) the Government 
of Liberia could develop.  It was also a document by which the Government of Liberia captured 
export data for statistical purposes and for GDP tabulation.  Other than the invoice and the 
registration certificate for conducting business in Liberia, there were no other document 
requirements to obtain an export permit declaration.  The representative of Liberia also stated that 
inspection report from Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS) was needed to export logs, even 
though log was not on the EPD list. Export of diamond also had to meet a Kimberly certification 
process put in place by the United Nations and the Government of Liberia.   
189.  The Export Permit Declaration (EPD) form was obtained from the Division of Trade of the 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI).  The fo rm showed the exporter's and buyer's full name 
a n d  a d d r e s s ,  E x p o r t e r ' s  T a x  I d e n t i f i c a t i o n  N u m b e r  ( T I N ) ,  c o u n t r y  o f  d e s t i n a t i o n ,  c o u n t r y  o f  
shipment, date of shipment and number of shipments, means of dispatch, port of loading and port 
of landing. It also showed the value of the goods being exported in the respective currency 
including the FOB value, insurance, freight costs, total CIF value, any other charges to be paid, 
and the terms of payment.  It also showed in formation on the description of the goods being 
exported including the HS code and the technical description of the goods; and quantity and the 
unit price.  After completing the EPD, the exporter  paid a PSI service fee to the designated bank, 
either Global Bank or International Bank.  For all export products, the PSI fee was 1.4% of FOB 
value of exports.  After payment of the fee, the exporter submitted the EPD and the PSI fees 
payment receipt to the MoCI for authorization.  The approval of the EPD requires two signatures:  
Director of Trade or Deputy Minister responsibl e for Commerce and Trade, and Assistant Minister 
responsible for Commerce and Trade.  The EPD was approved subject to Clean Report of 
Finding (CRF) by Bureau Veritas or its affiliate ag ents (BIVAC Company) as to quantity inspection 
and price comparison. The EPD was in five copies:  one for the importer, two for the MoCI, one for 
customs and one for BIVAC.  The validity of the EPD was six months. 
190.  The representative of Liberia added that there we re no export quotas in Liberia.  In 2001, 
the United Nations Security Council had imposed an embargo on the diamond and timber sectors 
of Liberia.  In 2007, this embargo had been removed.  Currently, the country was undertaking reforms in the forest and other resources sectors to make their operations conform to 
internationally accepted standards.  In November 2008, through the Executive Order No. 6, the 
President had ordered a pause in the export ation of unprocessed natural rubber as the 
government had taken steps to curb the decline in the Liberian rubber industry.  In 2014, 
Executive Order No. 60 had been issued and extend ed the pause in the exportation of unprocessed 
natural rubber for a year.  The situation had furthe r deteriorated when the rubber sector reported 
negative growth in the second half of 2014 due to the health crisis.  The representative of Liberia 
further stated that the Government of Liberia did not intend to have this ban in place permanently. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  The Government of Liberia intended to revive the rubber industry and have the ban removed 
upon accession.   
191.   [The representative of Liberia confirmed that from the date of accession, Liberia would 
apply its export permit requirements and other ex port control requirements in conformity with 
WTO provisions.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
- Export subsidies 
192.  The representative of Liberia confirmed that Liberia did not have export financing, subsidy 
or promotion policies in place.  The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 2008 had implemented 
programme "Liberia Export Development Project" (LEDP) sponsored by the International Trade 
Centre (ITC).  One of the objectives of this prog ramme had been to train some members of staff in 
trade intelligence, business advocacy, entrepreneurship development and export promotion.  It was envisaged that when this programme came to an end, the trained staff would form an 
export promotion unit at the Ministry of Commerc e and Industry.  The representative of Liberia 
also confirmed that there were no export performance requirements in Liberia. 
193.  The representative of Liberia said that the Customs Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 
2011, provided for duty drawback on exports.  Th e drawback was allowed on two types of goods: 
(i) goods incorporating imported components (in this case, drawback was equal to the duty paid 
on imported components incorporated in the goods and was allowed after the goods have been 
exported or deposited in a warehouse or free zone by an importer); and, (ii) goods produced or 
manufactured from imported materials or goods in the manufacture of which imported materials have been used, when import duty had been paid on such materials and not drawn back, when 
such goods were either exported or deposited in a warehouse or free zone for exportation or 
shipment as stores.  Drawback in this case was equal to the duty paid on the imported materials 
used in the manufacture of goods, and the goods had been exported or deposited in a warehouse 
or the free zone by the manufacturer. 
194.  However, Presidential Executive Order No. 3 of 2006 "On Government Revenues and 
Obligations" had abolished all custom duty drawba cks and tax credits, th erefore duty drawback 
and tax credits did not currently exist in Liberi a.  The representative of Liberia noted that 
Executive Orders were of limited duration, so a lo nger term approach to duty drawback might have 
to be implemented by the Government. 
195.  Members requested the representative of Liberia to explain what export promotion policies 
it intended to implement, for instance as part  of the Liberia Export Development Project.  
The representative of Liberia informed that the Government of Liberia had drafted and adopted an 
Export Strategy.  The Export Strategy had been completed in June 2014 and was available on the 
official website of the Ministry of Comm erce and Industry (www.moci.gov.lr).    WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  196.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that Liberia would administer its subsidy 
programmes, if any, in full conformity with the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, including Article 27.2, from the date of accession.  The representative of Liberia further 
confirmed that incentives that had been granted to  firms and individuals authorized by these laws 
and programmes prior to the date of accession th at constituted a prohibited subsidy, within the 
meaning of Article 3 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, would be 
withdrawn by the date of accession.  All necessary information on subsidy programmes would be 
notified to the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures in accordance with Article 25 
of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures upon entry into force of Liberia's 
Protocol of Accession.  Liberia also would provide explanatory information in its subsequent 
notifications under Article 25 to enable other Members to confirm that such programmes are being progressively eliminated.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
C. INTERNAL POLICIES AFFECT ING FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS 
- Industrial policy, including subsidies 
197.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia currently had an emerging manufacturing 
and industrial sector and he believed that it had the potential to be developed further through its 
industrial policy.  Although there had been assistance from international donors such as, Japan 
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 
in 2011, and 2014, respectively, the progress had been on hold due to the health situation 
in Liberia.   
198.  The representative of Liberia, however, said  that his Government might wish to protect 
some sectors in the future. In this respect, Liberia wished to avail itself of all special and 
differential treatment provisions, including developmental provisions and trade policy instruments 
available in GATT and WTO Agreements. 
199.  With respect to subsidy policies, a Member noted that investment incentives provided 
under the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011 included "special tax incentives" to 
a number of sectors, such as manufacturing, which in this Member's view, appeared to be 
conditioned on the use of local content.  The re presentative of Liberia said that the Liberia 
Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, had a potential non-permissible subsidy provision 
which would be examined and resolved.  The subs idy which the representative of Liberia referred 
to was the provisions relating to local content requirement in Section 16 on special investment incentives.  Liberia was currently analysing the legal discrepancies in the Liberia Revenue Code of 
2000, as Amended in 2011 in order to have a full compliance with the WTO Agreement on 
Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. 
200.  Members appreciated the statement of the re presentative of Liberia, expressed in 
paragraph [198] of this Report.  At the same time, they sought a commitment that the WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Government of Liberia would provide details, prio r to accession, regarding any subsidies that it 
implemented, including any incentives it implemented as part of its Export Strategy. 
201.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that as of the date of accession to the WTO, 
Liberia would administer all of its subsidy programmes in full conformity with the WTO Agreement 
on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, including Article 27.2 thereof.  He also confirmed that, 
upon accession, Liberia would provide a subsidy notification, in accordance with Article 25 of the 
Agreement, to the WTO Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.  The Working Party 
took note of these commitments.]  
- Technical barriers to trade, standards and certification 
202.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia was a member of Codex Alimentarius, the 
International Standardization Organization (ISO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission in relation to standards. Recommendations and guidelines of these 
organizations served as a basis for the preparation,  revision, and application of national standards, 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. Liberia standards in metrology 
conformed to international standards.   
203.  Chapter 1 "Weights and Measures: Consumer Prot ection" of Title 14 of the Liberia Code of 
Law Revised ("General Business Law") of 27 June 1973 had established the basis for the 
application and implementation of standards fo r metrology. Currently, there were no other 
technical regulations and standards for other TBT issues and Liberia would have to develop those 
regulations and standards to be in full compliance with the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (hereinafter: WTO TBT Agreement). In his view, full compliance to the principles of the 
WTO TBT Agreement would require technical and financial assistance and an appropriate 
transitional period.  The Action Plan for th e Implementation of the WTO TBT Agreement is 
contained in Table 1 of this Report. 
204.  Pursuant to Chapter 29 "Ministry of Commerce and Industry" of Title 12 of the Liberia Code 
of Law Revised ("Executive Law") of 11 May 1972, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was a 
Government body having as one of its function s the establishment and enforcement of standards 
for commodities and trade. The Division of Stan dards had been established as the standardizing 
body for commodities and trade. Currently, there was no focal point on TBT matters. The Liberian 
representative said that there were discussions with an aim at establishing the TBT enquiry point. 
However, in his view, this would require technical and financial assistance. 
205.  Members asked for a clarification if the Division of Standards within the Ministry of 
Commerce and Industry was the central standardizing body of Liberia, and, if so, if it already 
accepted and complied with the Code of Good Practice for Preparation, Adoption and Application of 
Standards, as established in Article 4 of the WTO TBT Agreement. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  206.  The representative of Liberia responded that Liberia still lacked a central standardization 
body. There was a bill to set up a national standardization body. The Division of Standards at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, along with Divisions of Standards in three other Ministries: of 
Agriculture; of Health and Social Welfare; and, of Public Works, was involved in adopting national 
standards in compliance with international standards. The Divisions were preparing technical 
regulations for adoption and application by centra l government bodies in compliance with Article 4 
of the WTO TBT Agreement. 
207.  Members noted a number of items in Liberia's TBT Checklist (WT/ACC/LBR/8) that were 
under consideration or in the process of being es tablished.  They invited the representative of 
Liberia to provide a timeline of Liberia's intentions to bring its TBT measures into compliance with 
the WTO TBT Agreement.  
208.  In response, the representative of Liberia informed that Liberia was currently in the 
process of a regulatory review with regard to technical regulations, standards and conformity 
assessment procedures. The regulatory review was underway, and would culminate in the 
preparation of a standalone all-encompassing WTO-consistent draft law on technical barriers to 
trade.  He also added that the action plan, which had been established in December 2013 and 
updated in 2015, was intended to support the im plementation of the TBT Checklist. The action 
plan included the following components: (i) Review  of Liberia's legislative framework with regard 
to TBT; (ii) Identification of the regulatory authorities involved in TBT and their responsibilities; 
(iii) Co-operation and coordination among the regu latory authorities (Good Regulatory Practices); 
(iv) Establishment of a TBT Enquiry Point; (v) Es tablishment of a TBT Notification Point; (vi) 
Identification of trade priorities with regard to  exports and imports; and, (vii) Improved quality 
infrastructure.  Liberia was currently working towards the fulfilment of points (i) and (ii).  
Next steps according to this action plan were sch eduled to be taken in fourth quarter of 2015.  
Liberia was working towards fulfilling the requir ements of the WTO TBT Agreement one year after 
accession.  Liberia was also aware that putting in place the TBT regime would require 
technical assistance. 
209.  Members noted Liberia's plan to establish the TBT Enquiry Point.  They requested 
additional information on the status of this projec t.  The representative of Liberia responded that 
the plan for establishing a TBT Enquiry Point was not feasible before a complete regulatory review 
and an assessment of the regulatory authorities responsible for TBT were finalized. The representative of Liberia further said that the regulatory assessment was underway and that 
Liberia was moving forward to accomplish activities listed in the Action Plan for the 
Implementation of the WTO TBT Agreement, as cont ained in Table 1 of this Report, but Liberia had 
a delay caused by the Ebola virus situation in 2014. He confirmed that the establishment of the 
TBT Enquiry Point was targeted for fourth quarter of 2015.  
210.  Members asked Liberia to provide more details about how it was planning to ensure that 
the WTO TBT Agreement transparency obligations were complied with, in particular those 
regarding the possibility for other Members to submit comments on the implementation of new WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. They also asked for information on 
how Liberia would ensure compliance with the WTO TBT Agreement provisions regarding the 
development and application of technical regula tions and conformity assessment procedures, in 
particular:  non-discrimination in the treatment of products, consideration of appropriate 
international standards, guides and recommendations as a basis for technical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedures;  and the accept ance of the results of conformity assessment 
procedures conducted by bodies in an exporting Member country.  In response, the representative 
of Liberia stated that Liberia was developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the 
adoption of standards and also drafting a technical regulation that was geared toward making 
Liberia to be in full compliance with Article 5 of the WTO TBT Agreement. Currently Liberia was 
planning to review and harmonize conformity certification for local products. 
211.  Members asked the representative of Liberia to  give an indication of when Liberia was 
planning to implement a procedure for comments on new regulations. The representative of Liberia 
responded that any regulatory changes for TBT would need to be done during a transitional period 
contained in paragraph [212] and Table 1 of this Report. 
212.  [The representative of Liberia stated that Liberia would progressively implement the WTO 
Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade in accordan ce with the action plan set-out Table 1.  Full 
implementation would start from 1 August 2017 without recourse to any further transitional 
period.  The Working Party took note of this commitment.] 
Table 1:  Action Plan for the Implementation of the WTO Agreement on 
Technical Barriers to Trade  
Provisions of the 
TBT Agreement Required Actions Time-Frame 
 Review of the existing institutiona l, legal and regulatory framework for 
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), including the draft law on TBT to bring it into full compliance with the WTO TBT Agreement 2015 
Article 10 Development of draft regulation of the Minister of Commerce and 
Industry on the Establishment of TBT Enquiry Point, in accordance 
with Chapter 29.2(a) of Title 12 of the Liberia Code of Law Revised ("Executive Law") 2015 
Stakeholders' Review of the Draft TBT Enquiry Point Regulation 2015 
Establishment of the TBT Enquiry Point by the regulation of the 
Minister of Commerce and Industry 2015 
Recruitment and training of staff for th e operation of the Enquiry Point 2015 
Articles 2.9, 2.10, 
3.3, 5.7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 10.7, 10.10, 15.2 and Annex 3 Development of draft regulation of the Minister of Commerce and 
Industry on the Establishment of the National Notification Authority, in accordance with Chapter 29.2(a) of Title 12 of the Liberia Code of Law 
Revised ("Executive Law") 2015 
Stakeholders' Review of the Draft National Notification Authority 
Regulation 2015 
Establishment of the National Notification Authority by the regulation 
of the Minister of Commerce and Industry 2015 
Conduct recruitment and training of additional staff for the operation 
of the National Notification Authority 2015 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Provisions of the 
TBT Agreement Required Actions Time-Frame 
Articles 2, 2.3, 3, 
3.1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7.1 Drafting the regulation of the Minister of Commerce and Industry on 
the establishment a National Standa rds Body responsible for setting 
standards in compliance with WTO TBT Agreement and its Annex 3 
and issuing technical regulations  2015 
Stakeholders validation of the regulation of the Minister of Commerce 
and Industry on the establishment a National Standards Body 2015 
Establishment of the National Standards Body by the regulation of the 
Minister of Commerce and Industry 2015 
Conduct recruitment and training in the Code of Good Practice of 
additional staff for the operation of the National Standards Body 2015 
Article 2  Technical Regulations and Standards: 
 
- Development and adoption of the Code of Good Practice for 
the development of Technical Regulation in accordance with international standards, including Codex Alimentarius and the ISO.  
2015-2017 
  
Articles  2, 2.1, 3.1  Conformity Assessment: 
 
- Development and adoption of a standard operating 
procedures for conformity Asse ssment, in accordance with 
international guidelines. 2015-2017 
Articles 2, 3, 5, 7 Accreditation of Laboratories: 
 
- Establishment of a technical working group within the 
National Standards Body with the mandate to oversee the accreditation of the National Standards Laboratory (NSL); 
 
- Accreditation of NSL by a third party recognized 
accreditation body.  
  
2015 
 
2016-2017 
 
Full implementation of the WTO Agreement on  Technical Barriers to Trade 1 August 2017 
 
- Sanitary and phytosanitary measures 
213.  The representative of Liberia informed that Title 3 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised 
("Agriculture Law") of 1966 (Chapter 1 "Plant an d Animal Quarantine", Chapter 2 "The National 
Livestock Artificial Insemination Act"), Title 33 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("Public Health 
Law") the Act Adopting the Environment Protection and Management Law of Liberia of 2003 and the Act creating the Forestry Development Author ity of 1976 provided the legislative basis for the 
protection of human, animal and plant life and health .  In accordance with Chapter 1.2 of Title 3 of 
the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("Agriculture Law"), the existing legislation regulated import 
and export of animals and plants, specifically, to: (i) prevent entry into Liberia of injurious plant 
and animal pests and diseases existing in foreign countries; (ii) prevent the spread of such pests 
and diseases should they become established in Libe ria; (iii) conserve dwindling species; and, (iv) 
protect the food supplies of Liberia. 
214.  The representative of Liberia recognized that the existing SPS legislation would need to be 
improved, to achieve full WTO-consistency and eliminate any gaps and discrepancies in the current 
regulations. He informed that, in addition to the laws and regulations listed in paragraph [213] of 
this Report, legal acts were being developed to create a comprehensive framework for Liberia's SPS regime and ensure its consistency with international standards and guidelines and the 
requirements of the WTO SPS Agreement.  The legal framework being developed was work in 
progress.  This work required technical assistan ce.  Specifically, a standalone all-encompassing WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  WTO-consistent draft SPS law was being developed.  In support of the Agriculture Law, a new 
Plant Quarantine Act was being drafted, scheduled to be adopted in 2016.  The preparation of the draft National Livestock Act was in process.  He added that in 2008, the Government of Liberia had 
adopted the Food and Agriculture Policy and Stra tegy (FAPS), to address the problems of the 
agriculture sector of Liberia. The FAPS, inter alia , contained a set of measures to revitalize the 
livestock sector and its value chains. The Government of Liberia was developing and enforcing 
improved livestock regulations and operational rules and mechanism of enforcement, which 
included SPS standards for safety and quality control of animal and livestock products.  
215.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia was a member of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission, the International Plant Protection Co nvention (IPPC) and, since May 2014, the World 
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).  Liberian representatives attended Codex, OIE, and IPPC meetings on a regular basis.  Liberia's SPS measures were applied in line with the standards of 
these international bodies.  International standards would be taken into account in developing and 
introducing new SPS measures in Liberia. 
216.  Three Ministries were primarily responsible for sanitary and phytosanitary measures: the 
Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Heal th and, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 
as follows:   
- Ministry of Agriculture oversaw live animal and plant health quarantine. It was also 
responsible for overseeing the preparation an d implementation of phytosanitary measures 
in Liberia. The Ministry administered and was responsible for the control, inspection and 
approval of plant life and health measures an d enforced plant quarantine, in accordance 
with Chapter 1 of Title 3 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("Agriculture Law");  
- The Ministry of Health was in charge of food safety. It was responsible for the enforcement 
of food sanitary conditions, including those for meat and poultry products. It also oversaw and regulated sanitary conditions for hotels, boarding houses, public eating and drinking 
houses, in accordance with Chapter 30.2 of Title 12 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised 
("Executive Law") and Article 26 of the Public Health Law; and, 
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry was mandated to ensure quality standards of 
domestic and imported products and ensure conformity of imported products with the 
applicable SPS regulations, in accordance with  Chapter 29.2(a) of Title 12 of the Liberian 
Code of Laws Revised ("Executive Law").  
The three Ministries, on a collaborative basis, also jointly oversaw the inspection of animal 
slaughter houses.  Within their competence, the Ministries had developed various policies and 
drafted new laws, to strengthen Liberia's SPS standards, as reflected in paragraph [214] of 
this Report.  
217.  The representative of Liberia added that the National SPS Committee had been set up, 
with terms of reference.  However, the Committee had not yet become operative due to lack of 
national budgetary appropriations. It was anticipa ted that it would be functional by December 
2015.  Once fully functional, the Committee would, inter alia , perform the following functions: 
- advise and assist the Government of Liberi a in drafting, promulgating and implementing 
national regulations and standards with th e purpose of ensuring that they were: WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  (i) compliant with the WTO SPS Agreement; (ii) based on applicable international 
standards; and, (iii) not more trade restrictive than necessary to protect food safety, animal health or plant health in Liberia;  
- contribute to raising awareness of SPS matters among stakeholders by holding 
consultations with and providing information to them in preparation of the country's 
positions with regards to international fora related to SPS matters in Liberia;  
- facilitate the exchange of information amon g the stakeholders in the three areas of: (i) 
animal health; (ii) food safety; and, (iii) plant health, in order to enable efficient operation 
of Liberia's SPS Enquiry Point (NEP) and the SPS National Notification Authority (NNA); and, 
- coordinate training programmes on SPS matters at the national level.  
218.  Some Members asked about the national labora tory of Liberia responsible for testing of 
agricultural goods referred to as the Ledlum La boratory in Fendell and asked to provide more 
information regarding the National Laboratories (Metrological, Chemical and Microbiological), 
which, once certified, should also be able to test agricultural goods.  Members also asked Liberia if 
it planned to expand the scope of testing beyond live animals. 
219.  The representative of Liberia responded that the following laboratories had been 
established: (i) Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Ledlum Lab); (ii) National Standards 
Laboratory (NSL); and, (iii) Drugs Testing Labora tory, established by the Liberia Medicines and 
Health Products Regulatory Authority.  The plan for the Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory 
(Ledlum Lab) in Fendell was to provide prompt and reliable test results by well-trained personnel 
to the field veterinary services and to enhance an imal disease diagnosis and control (for example, 
transboundary animal diseases surveillance).  The Central Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory 
(Ledlum Lab) in Fendell had started conducting mi crobiological, virology, and parasitology testing 
activities in 2011. By the end of 2015, it would ex pand its testing activities in the field of bee 
health for honey production (organic certification for export of honey and the production of candle 
from bee wax).  The Ledlum Lab was also member of the African Union Interafrican Bureau of 
Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) network of veterinary labs and sent cases for confirmation to designated laboratories in the region.  The National Standards Laboratory (NSL) of Liberia was a 
testing and calibration facility.  Its establishment was linked to Liberia's accession to the WTO.  
It aimed to strengthen the SPS system in Liberia, by enabling Liberia to prevent importation of 
sub-standard products that may threaten human, plant or animal health, and by making sure that 
food and agriculture exports from Liberia met in ternational standards.  The National Standards 
Laboratory was also part of a regional programme working towards strengthening quality 
infrastructure in order to support competitiveness and harmonization of TBT and SPS measures in 
West Africa. The National Standards Laboratory had three basic laboratories, which were 
undergoing preparation for their eventual accreditation to ISO 17025:2005 international standard in all laboratory practices. The testing activities of the laboratories were as below: WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  1) The Chemical Testing Laboratory, which major goal was providing quality analytical 
testing services for the purpose of: (i) determining whether food met specification in order to protect the consumers' interests; (ii) verifying claims on labels and identity of sample in order to determine quality or wholesomeness of product; and 
(iii) making sure that food did not contain potentially harmful chemicals in 
concentration higher than the permissible limit; 
2) The Microbiology Laboratory, which major goal was providing quality 
microbiological testing services for the purpose of protecting consumers' interests, 
verifying producer claims, and ensuring that products did not contain microbial contaminations; and, 
3) The Metrology Laboratory was a major calibration body of the NSL. 
On the Drugs Testing Laboratory, established by the Liberia Medicines and Health Products 
Regulatory Authority, the representative of Libe ria added that this laboratory was performing 
testing of medicines and health products for qualit y.  More information about the laboratories was 
contained in Annex 18 to this Report.  In response to Members' question, he also confirmed that 
Liberia did not plan to expand the scope of testing beyond live animals, unless under 
exceptional circumstances. 
220.  Members requested to explain how the import permit procedures were no more 
administratively burdensome than absolutely nece ssary to administer the phytosanitary measure, 
and asked to provide further details regarding the reasons that the Ministry of Agriculture could 
deny an import permit. 
221.    The representative of Liberia explained that the import permit procedure for imports of 
plants and plant products was in line with international best practices. Liberia followed 
International Plant Protection Convention's International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures 
(ISPMs) and the OIE codes for Terrestrial and Aquati c Animal Health. Provided that an application 
for an import permit was complete, the Ministry of Agriculture would process it within 24 hours. 
Pursuant to paragraph 4 of Chapter 1 of Title 3 of  the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("Agriculture 
Law"), the authority to prohibit the importation of plants which were poisonous, noxious, or which produced deleterious drugs or might be infested or infected with harmful pests or diseases was 
vested with the Ministry of Agriculture.  Import permits could be denied if the country of origin of 
the product was suspected to have an outbreak of a pest or disease. Further, a permit could be 
denied if the applicant/importer was not a register ed business with the Liberian Business Registry 
or, if the applicant submitted insufficient information inconsistent with the requirements of Chapter 
4.3 of Title 14 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("General Business Law"), as described 
paragraph [68] of Section "Registration requirements for import/export operations; Trading rights" 
of this Report.  Currently, information on the im port permit procedure for plants, plant products 
and agro chemicals was not available online.  Information was provided from the Ministry of Agriculture's office. Liberia was cognizant of the fact that this negatively affected imports. 
There was a need for technical assistance to set up an electronic system for import permits and to 
develop/revise regulations and procedures on import permits. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  222.  Members requested for further information on Liberia's system for recognizing different 
SPS measures that achieve the same level of protection pursuant to Liberia's commitment on equivalence. 
223.  The representative of Liberia informed that Liberia did not have a system for recognizing 
different SPS measures that achieve the same level of protection, to evaluate equivalence of such 
measures.  Also, risk assessment capacity was limited.  Technical assistance in this field was 
needed.  A central recipient body where this ca pacity could be developed was the National SPS 
Committee of Liberia. 
224.  In response to a specific question on the standards or regulations related to products 
derived from generic engineering that could play an important role for innovative agricultural 
technologies, the representative of Liberia said that currently, the Central Agriculture Research Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture was the only government-owned and operated research 
entity on agricultural matters in Liberia.  The Central Agriculture Research Institute performed its 
mandate for research, gene, engineering and breeding practices for the development and 
improvement of selected plants and animals, al ong with best practices to enhance viability, 
production, and guard against environmental effects.  The Central Agriculture Research Institute 
had developed several varieties of rice, cassava, and other tubers, and had researched on 
improving seed, fish, and small rudiments.   
225.  The representative of Liberia said that currently there was no regulation on genetic 
engineering although he recognized the important role  that it could play.  Further, in this context, 
he said that if in the future, new regulatory a pproaches related to genetic engineering and other 
new technologies were envisaged for, they would be transparent, predictable, science-based and 
consistent with Liberia's international trade obligations.   
226.  Members requested an update on the regulations and procedures that Liberia was 
developing to provide for transparency of SPS me asures, and asked to provide the information on 
the progress in the establishment of the National Notification Authority (NNA) and the National 
Enquiry Point to the Working Party. 
227.  The representative of Liberia responded that the National Enquiry Point had been 
established within the structure of the Ministry of  Agriculture.  The decision on its establishment 
had been taken by the Ministry of Agriculture in November 2013.  The legal instruments were 
being drafted to define the scope of its functi ons, based on international guidelines and the 
transparency requirements of the WTO SPS Agreemen t.  Once ready, the drafts would be shared 
with the Members of the Working Party.  The contact details of the National Enquiry Point were: WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Address: National Livestock Bureau; Ministry of Agriculture;  
Old LPRC Road; Somalia Drive, Gardnesville,  1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia 
 
Email:  joeelson2007@gmail.com 
Website: www.moaliberia.org  
Tel:  + 231 886126704 
 The National Notification Authority (NNA), which would be established no later than 1 August 2017 
as part of the National SPS Committee, as reflec ted in the Action Plan for the Implementation of 
the WTO SPS Agreement reproduced in Table 2 of this Report, would be responsible for SPS 
notifications.  The representative of Liberia also informed that all SPS regulations were published 
in the Official Gazette of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as referred in paragraph [312] of this Report, and/or the official websites of the three Ministries in charge of SPS measures: (i) the 
Ministry of Agriculture; (ii) the Ministry of Health; and, (iii) the Ministry of Commerce and 
Industry: www.moaliberia.org , www.mohsw.gov.lr  and, www.moci.gov.lr , respectively. Prior 
publication of draft SPS measures was not currently available. As per the Action Plan for the 
Implementation of the WTO SPS Agreement reproduc ed in Table 2  of this Report, Liberia would 
take steps to ensure that draft SPS measures wo uld be made available to the public, through the 
official journal or official website, for review  and comment prior to adoption. Comments would be 
taken account of when finalizing the proposed SPS measures. 
228.  Members requested information on further steps which Liberia planned to take to bring its 
SPS system into conformity with WTO commitments, and what assistance Members might provide 
to help Liberia in this regard. 
229.  In response, the representative of Liberia referred to Table 2 of this Report.  Technical 
assistance would be helpful in developing new and revising existing SPS-related legislation, 
regulations and procedures for implementation. 
230.  The representative of Liberia requested that the Working Party grant a transitional period 
from the date of Liberia's accession until 1 August 2017 for implementation of the WTO SPS 
Agreement, as outlined in the Action Plan fo r the Implementation of the WTO SPS Agreement 
reproduced in Table 2 of this Report.  This transition period would allow Liberia to fully implement 
the obligations under the Agreement. He stressed the necessity for his Government to receive 
adequate technical and financial assistance to ensure the proper implementation of the WTO SPS Agreement. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Table 2 :  Action Plan for the Implementati on of the WTO Agreement on the Application 
of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
Provisions of the SPS 
Agreement Activity Time-frame 
Article 2:  Basic rights 
and obligations,  Article 3: Harmonization  Adoption of the Food and Agriculture Policy and Strategy DONE 
Development and adoption of the modifications and 
amendments to Title 3 of the  Liberia Code of Law Revised 
of 1973 ("Agriculture Law"), the draft SPS law, and other 
legislation, as necessary, to ensure its consistency with the 
WTO SPS Agreement and the relevant international standards 2015-2017 
  Promulgation of rules and re gulations in support of Title 3 
of the  Liberia Code of Law Revised of 1973 ("Agriculture Law")  2015-2017 
 Adoption of SPS-related me asures and procedures along 
international guidelines (e.g. CODEX, OIE, IPPC) 2016 
Review and update the technical food regulations and food 
specifications in accordance with the international specifications of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 2015-2017 
Periodic evaluation for the food control system as well as on 
food inspection activities according to the guides, manuals 
and international recommendations 2015 - 2017 
 
Strengthening of animal health  laboratories to expand the 
scope for animal testing 2016 
Strengthening of a national fo od safety laboratory,  to 
expand the scope for food testing 2016 
 Expand animal and plant quaran tine stations at additional 
entry points 2016 
Development of human capacity in the areas of 
phytosanitary and animal health 2016 
 
Article 4:  Equivalence Adoption of legi slation to ensure the compliance of the 
above mentioned laws and regulations with equivalence obligations 2015 – 2017 
  Update of the terms of re ference of the National SPS 
Committee to address the equivalence issues 2016 
Article 5: Risk 
Assessment; 
 Article 6 and Annexes A.6 and A.7: Adaptation to regional conditions   Setting up a Division on Cr op Protection as part of the 
Ministry of Agriculture 2015 
  Conduct transboundary animal  disease surveillance, taking 
into consideration regional conditions 2015 
  Conduct a survey to determin e plant pest risks for crop of 
economic importance, taking into consideration regional conditions 2016 
Development of human capacity in the area of risk analysis 
and management 2016  
Article 7 and Annex B: 
Transparency Strengthening of the National Enquiry Point in the Ministry 
of Agriculture, including drafting and adopting the legal instruments defining the scope of its functions, based on 
international guidelines and the transparency requirements of the WTO SPS Agreement 2015 - 2016 
 Drafting and adopting the legal instruments establishing the 
National Notification Authority under the National SPS Committee, based on intern ational guidelines and the 
transparency requirements of the WTO SPS Agreement  2015-2017 
 Setting up a mechanism for prior publication of draft SPS 
measures in the Official Gaze tte and/or at the official 
websites of the Ministries in charge of SPS measures 2015-2017 
  Development of human capacity in the area of SPS 
transparency and notifications 2015-2017 
Article 8 and Annex C: 
Control, inspection and approval procedures  Review control, inspection and approval procedures, to 
ensure compliance with Annex C to the WTO SPS Agreement 2015 - 2017 
Full implementation of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures 1 August 2017 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  231.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that during this period, existing measures would 
be applied on a non-discriminatory basis, i.e., providing for national treatment and MFN treatment to all imports.   Measures in place at the time of accession and already consistent with the 
provisions of the WTO Agreement on the Application Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, would 
not be subject to transition.  Liberia would ensure that any changes made in its laws, regulations 
and practice during the transition period would not result in a lesser degree of consistency with the 
provisions of the WTO Agreement on the Applicatio n of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, than 
existed at the date of accession.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
232.  Some Members highlighted the efforts made by Liberia in reviewing its SPS legislation and 
invited Liberia to continue with its efforts to bring regulations and legislation progressively in 
compliance with the SPS rules.  They took note of  Liberia's request for a transition period until 
1 August 2017 for full technical assistance im plementation of the WTO SPS Agreement and 
encouraged Liberia to take advantage of the available in the SPS area. 
233.  [The representative of the Liberia confirmed that Liberia would progressively implement 
the provisions of the WTO Agreement on the Applic ation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures in 
accordance with the Action Plan provided for in Ta ble 2 .  Liberia would ensure full implementation 
of the Agreement no later than 1 August 2017, with  the understanding that, during this period, the 
scope of implementation of other aspects of th e Agreement, as described in paragraph [231], 
would be applied by Liberia.  He further confirmed that Liberia would consult with Members upon 
request if they deemed that any measures applied during the transition period affected their trade negatively.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.]  
- Trade-related investment measures 
234.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia applied or required any trade-related 
investment measures as per the Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) of 
the WTO. 
235.  A Member noted that Section 16 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 
2011 provided that the National Investment Commission could certify companies as eligible for the 
special investment incentives, i.e., exemptions from VAT/GST and import duties on specified 
products for a period of five years from the commencement of investment (15 years if the 
investment exceeded US$1,000,000) provided that they were new investments and operated, inter 
alia, in the following areas:  manufacturing of finished products having at least 30% local raw 
material content; exportation of sea products; agricultural food-crop cultivation and processing, 
including cocoa and coffee; small- and medium-scale rubber and oil-palm cultivation and 
processing; manufacturing or assembly of finished products for export, provided that at least 70% 
of production was exported from Liberia within any 12-month period.  Additional tax incentives 
covered construction of, inter alia , new factories that used local raw materials.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  236.  This Member reiterated that where such incentives were contingent, de facto  or de jure , 
upon requirement to export or use local content, th ey were inconsistent with the provisions of the 
WTO Agreement on TRIMs. 
237.  Asked to provide Liberia's plan for eliminating the investment practices that were 
inconsistent with the WTO Agreement, the representative of Liberia said that Liberia was currently 
analysing the legal discrepancies in the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011 in 
order to have a full compliance with the WTO Agreement on TRIMs. 
238.  The representative of Liberia informed that as of 6 March 2015, the Ministry of Finance and 
Development Planning had granted investment in centives under Section 16 of the Revenue Code 
of 2000, as Amended in 2011 to eight private companies, as indicated in Annex 19 to this Report.  
All these incentives were granted by the Mini stry between February 2014 and October of 2014 and 
would last for a period of five years, expiring in 2019. 
239.  [The representative of Liberia said that Liberia would ensure that all laws, regulations and 
other measures applied in Liberia that were related to issues covered by this section, would be 
consistent with the provisions of the WTO Agreement on TRIMs, except for measures applied under 
investment agreements described in paragraph [238] and Annex 19 to this Report, for which a 
transitional period until 1 November 2019 was agreed.  The representative of Liberia confirmed 
that Liberia would engage in consultations with interested WTO Members, no later than 1 
November 2017, regarding WTO-consistent measures that could be applied in connection with 
investment agreements described in paragraph [238] and Annex 19 to this Report, and would notify WTO Members of any measures planned to replace the WTO-inconsistent measures applied 
under these agreements at least six months prior to the adoption of such new measures.  The 
representative of Liberia confirmed that all WTO-inconsistent measures, applied pursuant to these 
investment agreements would be eliminated by 1 November 2019.  The representative of Liberia 
also confirmed that, upon accession Liberia would not conclude any new agreements with investors 
in any sector that contained provisions contrary to the WTO TRIMS Agreement.  The Working Party 
took note of this commitment.]  
- Free zones, special economic areas 
240.  The Government of Liberia had established the Liberia Industrial Free Zone Authority 
(LIFZA) in 1975 to encourage and promote foreign cooperation and investments in the country.  
The representative of Liberia informed that there were two free zones in Liberia: the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP), and the Liberia Industrialized Free Zone.  However, he added that there 
were, de facto , no commercial activities performed in the Liberia Industrialized Free Zone.  
In accordance with the Act Creating Industrial Free Zone Authority of Title 30 of Liberia Code of 
Law Revised ("Public Authorities Law"), Liberia Industrial Free Zone Authority was responsible to 
oversee and manage free zones in Liberia.  As the LIFZA was currently de facto  dysfunctional, the 
Government of Liberia had drafted Special Econom ic Zones Act in 2014.  The representative of 
Liberia said that upon enactment of the Act on Special Economic Zones, it would replace the Act WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Creating Industrial Free Zone Authority of Titl e 30 of Liberia Code of Law Revised ("Public 
Authorities Law").  Further, the Liberia Special Economic Zone Authority would be created as a regulatory body to: (i) promulgate policies and all necessary regulations for the effective 
implementation of the Act; (ii) designate geog raphically defined areas as suitable for the 
development of Special Economic Zones subject to the Land Rights Policy of Liberia and existing 
laws, and strategic national interests;  (iii) prescribe different categories of Special Economic 
Zones;  (iv) determine the types of services and businesses that could be located in Special 
Economic Zones; (v) review, grant and revoke licenses to develop, operate and maintain Special 
Economic Zones; and (vi) monitor and regulate activity in Special Economic Zones. 
241.   The representative of Liberia informed that the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP) was 450 
hectare parcel land set aside for industrial development in Gardnersville Township just outside Monrovia, where industries that were established within this Park were entitled to waive import 
duties.  Asked to describe the customs requirements (e.g., tariffs, taxes, fees) that were applied to 
goods that exited the MIP or the Liberia Industrialized Free Zone: (i) for export abroad outside 
ECOWAS; (ii) for export to another ECOWAS members, if that was different from (i); and (iii) for 
consumption within the rest of Liberia, the represen tative of Liberia clarified that both for the MIP, 
and the Free Zone, goods exported to countries outside of the ECOWAS enjoyed tax free regime 
unless such goods were not finished or processe d goods.  Goods exported to ECOWAS countries 
enjoyed the same treatment until the implementati on of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme 
(ETLS).  Further, for goods produced/processed fo r consumption within the territory of Liberia, 
taxes were paid as required in Schedule I of the Customs Tariff Schedule of Liberia, as described in 
paragraph [79] of this Report. 
242.  Further, the representative of Liberia said that according to the former Poverty Reduction 
Strategy, Agenda for Transformation, and Vision 2030, Liberia was considering developing one or 
more Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to promote investment, reduce production costs, generate 
employment, diversify production and better integrate Liberian firms with regional and global 
markets.  The representative of Liberia said that  upon the passage of the Draft Special Economic 
Zones Act, the Government intended  to establish additional SEZs.  
243.    [The representative of Liberia said that free zones established under Title 30 of Liberia 
Code of Law Revised ("Public Authorities Law") or any other legislation would be fully subject to 
the coverage of the WTO Agreement and that Liberia would ensure enforcement of its WTO 
obligations in those zones.  In addition, the representative of Liberia confirmed that from the date 
of accession goods produced in any free trade zones or areas under tax and tariff provisions that 
exempt imports and imported inputs from tariffs and certain taxes would be subject to normal 
customs formalities when entering the rest of the territory of Liberia, including the application of 
tariffs and taxes.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  - Government procurement 
244.  The representative of Liberia said that public procurement in Liberia was regulated by the 
"Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2005, as Amended in 2010", and "Small Business 
Empowerment Act".  In addition to procurement, the Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 
2005, as Amended in 2010 also regulated concessions in Liberia.  The objectives of the Act were to 
promote integrity, fairness, accountability and public confidence in the procurement process; and 
achieve transparency in the procedures, processes and decisions relating to procurement and 
concession agreements, among other objectives.  With respect to Small Business Empowerment 
Act, the representative stated that the Government  of Liberia enacted the Act to ensure that 25% 
of public procurement was set aside for only Liberian firms. 
245.  The Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) was established as a distinct 
corporate entity to oversee all public procuremen t and concessions processes in accordance with 
the "Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2005, as Amended in 2010".  The Commission had 
begun to implement its mandate as provided for by the Act in 2006 following the first post-war 
inauguration of Liberia's President, Her Excellency, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.  The Commission 
had the core objective to achieve transparency in  the procedures, processes and decisions relating 
to procurement and concession agreements and ensure "Value for Money" through the economic 
and efficient use of public funds.   
246.  The Act applied to the procurement of goods, works and services, financed in whole or in 
part from public funds including the disposal of  government stores, plant and equipment and all 
other public concessions.  The applicatio n of the Act had three main exceptions: 
− The procurement of goods, works and services financed by loans taken or guaranteed by 
the government and/or aid granted under an international agreement which prescribes the 
procurement procedures to be employed;  
− Agreements executed by the Central Bank of Liberia in respect of monetary policy; and, 
− Procurement of military or national security equipment.  
247.  Entities classified as contracting authorities were those that used public funds and those 
where the government had majority ownership.  No contract values were excluded from 
the application of the Act.  The public procurement regime of Liberia followed international 
best practices and was fully transparent and predictable.  The "Public Procurement 
and Concessions Act of 2005, as Amended in 2010" and regulations stipulated all the relevant 
procedures for the call for proposals, tendering and bidding, evaluation of  proposals and award of 
contracts.  Full details were in the following document: Public Procurement and Concessions 
Commission, Public Procurement and Concessions Act 2005, Implementation Manual, April 2009 at 
http://www.ppcc.gov.lr/content.php?sub =Publication&submenu=Publication .  
- Transit  
248.  The representative of Liberia said that the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 
2011 provided for regulations on trans-shipment and goods in transit.  According to the Code, WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  goods in transit, trans-shipment or on temporary importation, when entered in Liberia were 
relieved from payment of customs duty.  However,  goods in transit through Liberia had to pay a 
levy of 2.5% of the CIF value of goods.  The repr esentative of Liberia confirmed that the 2.5% of 
the CIF value of goods was an administrative fee as stipulated in Section 5.b(5) of the Code.  
He said that concerning the fee for indirect trans-shipment for goods initially destined for Liberia, 
which the importer later decided to trans-ship (e.g. due to market conditions), the charge had 
previously been at a flat rate of US$500, however, it had been abolished. 
249.  In addition, goods in transit when imported through a port in Liberia might be stored in 
designated "transit warehouses" as the necessary custom's clearance was being undertaken.  
The Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011, gave the Minister of Finance and 
Development Planning authority to approve places at various ports of entry as transit warehouses.  It also required that the importer of goods in transit or goods which had to be trans-shipped made 
an entry for such goods.  The entry consisted of an import permit declaration, made by the 
importer and completed in line with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry specifications.  
The import permit declaration was also accompanied by the goods invoice. 
250.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that, from the date of accession, Liberia would 
apply any laws, regulations or other measures go verning transit operations and would act in full 
conformity with the provisions of the WTO Agr eement, in particular Article V of the GATT 1994. 
The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
- Agricultural policies 251.  The representative of Liberia said that the mainstay of the Liberian economy was 
agriculture, which, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), contributed 
about 39% of aggregate GDP in 2013.  Agriculture was thus a major component of economic 
revitalization.  Growth in the agricultural sector was led by the production of rubber and timber.  
Agriculture was the primary source of livelihood for the majority of the population. Recovery had 
been quicker in the commercial plantation sector, with the high prices of rubber and palm oil on 
the international market spurring investment.  However, since 2013, the price of rubber had fallen.  
The scarce resources available to smallholders and a poor transportation network hampered their 
ability to get products to market.  The agricultur al sector also suffered from low productivity, as 
technology remained virtually stagnant for decades.   This was compounded by Liberia's dual land 
tenure system, formal and customary, which seriously restricted land ownership by both Liberians and foreigners.  
(a) Imports 
252.  The representative of Liberia said that most of  the tariffs applicable to agricultural goods 
were in ad valorem , except for a few products whose duty was applied at a specific level. 
Agricultural products with specific duty included semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not 
polished or glazed.  The import duty on rice had however been suspended through Executive Order 
No. 61 of 2014.  This order provided an extens ion of an earlier Executive Order, No. 19 on WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  suspension of the tariff on rice.  This included rice classified under tariff Nos. 1006.30.00 
(in packing of more than 5kg or in bulk); 1006. 30.00 (in packing of at least 5kg); and 1006.40.00 
(broken rice) under the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011.  The purpose of 
suspension of the duty was to continue bringi ng relief to the public on this staple food.  
253.  The representative of Liberia said that the ad valorem  duty on agricultural products 
c u r r e n t l y ,  r a n g e d  f r o m  1 . 5 %  ( f o r  s o m e  p r o d u c t s  o f  m i l k  a n d  c r e a m )  t o  2 5 %  ( f o r  s o m e  f r u i t s  
including pears, apricots, cherries, peaches an d strawberries).  He added that upon the 
implementation of the ECOWAS CET, the tariff rates on agricultural products would be simplified 
into three groups, i.e. 5, 10 and 20%.  
254.  The representative of Liberia said that under the provisions of the Executive Order No. 64 
of 2014, duty on agricultural seeds, agricultur al equipment and related implements had been 
suspended.  The purpose of the duty suspension  was to contribute towards stimulation of the 
activities in the agricultural sector after years of war, and to provide incentives under the 
infrastructural and economic revitalization pillars of the Poverty Reduction Strategy by encouraging 
private sector investment in the procurement of essential agricultural equipment, agricultural 
seeds and related implements.  Importers of se eds and agricultural machinery and implements, 
therefore paid only the Custom User F ee (CUF) and the ECOWAS Trade Levy (ETL).  
255.  A Member noted that the Liberian Government was monitoring the quantity and price of 
imported wheat flour in order to support the domestic milling industry.  In this context, the 
Member requested Liberia to provide more details of the monitoring process and specific Government policies and actions involved in support ing the domestic industry.  The representative 
of Liberia confirmed that the Ministry of Commerc e and Industry did not restrict the quantity of 
wheat flour imported into the commerce of Liberia.  However, he said that there was a surtax of 
US$ 10 cents per kilo imposed on imported flou r by the Ministry of Finance and Development 
Planning.  He noted that this surtax was to make the local flour industry price competitive 
considering the high cost production due the lack of electrical power, water, and economy of scale 
of production.  
256.  Particularly, in response to the question how long the Government of Liberia intended to 
apply these policies monitoring process and specific policies, the representative of Liberia said that 
the phase out period of this administrative policy could take up until December 2015.  
257.  Noting Liberia's confirmation that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry did not restrict 
the quantity of wheat flour imported into Libe ria, the Member further required additional 
information when the phase-out was expected to begi n.  In response, the representative of Liberia 
noted that its surtax of US$ 10 cents per kilo imposed on imported flour by the Ministry of Finance 
and Development Planning was not in compliance with the WTO rules.  With the advent of the 
ECOWAS CET, Liberia intended to be in full compliance by implem enting only the CET tariff.   WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  (b) Exports 
258.  [The representative of Liberia informed that no export subsidy, export finance, export 
credit or guarantees or insurance programmes were currently available.  He requested to reserve 
the right for Liberia to introduce measures in full compliance with the rights and obligations of the 
Agreement on Agriculture, including the special and differential treatment provisions available to 
LDCs with respect to market access, domestic suppo rt and export subsidies.   He also confirmed 
that Liberia would bind agricultural export subsidies at zero from the date of accession.  The Working Party took note of this commitment.]   
(c) Internal policies 
259.  The representative of Liberia said that his government had introduced the Food and 
Agriculture Policy and Strategy in 2008, which aimed at: i) achieving sustainable sufficiency in rice 
through self-reliance, with much greater focus on  production from swamp/lowlands, and by small 
holders;  ii) sustainable transformation of traditional subsistence rice farmers into commercial rice 
farmers focusing on increased access to essential inputs, improved strategies for upland cultivation, mechanization, value addition  and linkages to markets;  iii) establishing large-scale 
commercial rice farms through the direct involvement of the private sector (national and foreign), 
within specified agro-ecological zones that offered comparative advantages in rice production.  
Such enterprises would enter into for partnership agreements with smaller commercial rice 
producers as out-growers to the enterprises;  iv ) value addition and development of a commercial 
rice industry, with rice value chain development starting at the farm level;  and v) establishment 
of a Rice Development Fund and a Rice Advisory Board.   
260.  [Asked about Liberia's domestic support policie s, the representative of Liberia confirmed 
that once Liberia acceded to the WTO and decide d to establish and/or implement any domestic 
support policies, those policies would be consistent with WTO disciplines and be notified to the 
WTO, accordingly.  The Working Party took note of this commitment.] 
261.  Liberia's commitments on agricultural tariffs and domestic support and export subsidies for 
agricultural products are contained in the Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on Goods 
(WT/ACC/LBR/XX) annexed to Liberia's Protocol of Accession to the WTO. 
V. TRADE-RELATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REGIME 
- GENERAL 
262.  The representative of Liberia said that the Government of Liberia enacted its first 
intellectual property law ("Copyright") on 22 De cember, 1911.  In 1997, the Copyright Act of 1911 
had been repealed and replaced by the Copyrigh t Act of 1997.  Further, in 2003 Liberia's first 
Industrial Property Act had been enacted.  The Government of Liberia had been advised by the 
WIPO that the Copyright Act of 1997 and the Industrial Property Act of 2003 were not sufficient in 
order to meet the WIPO's best practices, and international standards, including the WTO WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (hereinafter "the WTO Agreement on 
TRIPS").  Thus, the Government of Liberia had undertaken a legislative step to combine the Copyright Act of 1997 and the Industrial Property Act of 2003 to be harmoniously transformed to a 
new and singular intellectual property law, i.e. the Draft Intellectual Property Act. 
263.  The representative of Liberia said that the Draft Intellectual Property Act regulated and 
protected different forms of intellectual proper ty, including trademarks, copyright, industrial 
designs, patents and geographical indications.  Re sponding to Members question on the timeline of 
the enactment of this Draft law, the representative of Liberia informed that it was envisaged to be 
enacted in July 2015.  The representative of Liberia introduced some key differences between the 
two previous Acts, and the Draft Intellectual Proper ty Act, for which, in his view, were based on 
the substantive improvements in the Draft Intellectu al Property Act.  For example, in relation to 
Sub-Part VI (A) (Copyright and related Rights) in the Draft Intellectual Property Act, more topics 
were considered, including the incorporation of the Marrakesh Treaty, allowing the reproduction of 
a published work, without authorization of the owner, for the visually and aurally impaired persons 
or persons with print disabilities in a specialize d format which enabled their perception to work.  
Further, as for Sub-Part VI (B) (Industrial Proper ty Rights), the scope was extended to include Lay 
out Designs of Integrated Circuits, which was not st ipulated in the Industrial Property Act of 2003.  
Also, the coverage of the various intellectual property topics was expanded with further details and 
clarity.  In his view, overall the Draft Intellect ual Property Act was in compliance with the WTO 
Agreement on TRIPS. 
264.  Members were interested in the results of the WIPO Intellectual Property Development 
Plan for Liberia.  The representative of Liberia replied that the Plan had been operational since 
2009, the Draft Intellectual Property Act addressed ab ove was a concrete legislative result of this 
WIPO Development Plan for Liberia.  In addition, the representative of Liberia said that the WIPO 
Development Plan also provided Intellectual Property courses in several Universities in Liberia. 
- Industrial property protection 
265.  The representative of Liberia said that the Industrial Property Act of 2003 would be 
repealed in its entirety by the Draft Intellectua l Property Act.  The envisaged timeframe for its 
implementation was by 1 January 2016, following the enactment in July 2015. 
- Responsible agencies for policy formulation and implementation 
266.  The representative of Liberia said that according to Section 4.1 (establishment of the 
Liberia Intellectual Property Office) of the Draft Intellectual Property Act, in the Executive Branch 
of Government, there would be a corporate semi-autonomous agency with perpetual succession 
and a common seal to be known as Liberia Intellectual Property Office.  Upon the implementation 
of the Draft Intellectual Property Act by 1 January  2016, the Liberia Intellectual Property Office 
would be operational.  This Office would compri se a central administration and two departments - WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  Copyright Department and Industrial Property Department - under the policy direction of the 
Minister of Commerce and Industry to administer all intellectual property matters. 
267.  Noting that the Management Board was still functioning and intact, a Member asked 
whether the Management Board was the same as the Board of Directors whose organization and 
structure was set forth in Section 5 of the Draft Intellectual Property Act.  The representative of 
Liberia clarified that the Management Board stipul ated in the Copyright Act of 1997 and the Board 
of Directors stipulated in the Industrial Proper ty Act of 2003 would be dissolved and replaced by 
the Board of Directors which would be the govern ing body of the Liberia Intellectual Property 
Office (LIPO), when the Draft Intellectual Act would be implemented. 
268.  Asked to clarify the functions of the Collective Management Organization (CMO), the 
representative of Liberia firstly said that currently, there was no existing CMO in Liberia, although there were efforts to establish one support ed by the Norwegian Copyright Development 
Association (NORCODE).  Upon the establishment of the CMO as an independent body licensed by 
the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), the main function of the CMO would be to collect 
remuneration to be paid to holders of rights of works.  Right holders could either collect directly 
from users or contract with the CMO to collect on the right holders' behalf.  Additionally, the CMO 
could bring infringement cases to the LIPO against users who utilized their members' content but 
refused to enter a licensing agreement with the right holders or the CMO. 
- Participation in international in tellectual property agreements 
269.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia had become a member of the World 
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 8 March 1989, and had acceded to the various 
international intellectual property conventions, as reflected in Annex 20 to the Report.  In addition, 
he noted that Liberia had also been a party to the African Regional Intellectual Property 
Organization (ARIPO) Protocol since 24 December 2009, which offered protection and promotion of 
intellectual property within the African region. 
270.  Members requested information on Liberia's plans to accede to intellectual property 
treaties, such as the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.  
The representative of Liberia replied that Liberia was not a signatory to the International Union for 
the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.  However, he noted that the Government of Liberia was a 
member of the African Regional Intellectual Prop erty Organization (ARIPO), which was a member 
of the International Union for the Protection of th e New Varieties of Plant.  The representative of 
Liberia noted that currently there was a considerable legal and administrative limitation that would 
require further efforts by various Government authorities in Liberia to collectively tackle the issue 
of protecting new varieties of plants.  In this context, he informed that his Government was 
planning to establish a legislative framework to address the issue on the protection of the new 
varieties of plants.  The Draft ARIPO Legal Framework for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants 
was currently being considered by the Government of Liberia with an aim to adopt it as a model 
law in Liberia. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  271.  A Member asked whether Liberia had plans to join the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), the 
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (W PPT), and the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual 
Performances.  The representative of Liberia re sponded that regarding the Beijing Treaty on 
Audiovisual Performances, it was waiting for the si gnature by the President, which would then be 
sent to the Legislature for its ra tification, envisaged in 1 January 2016.  With respect to the WIPO 
Copyright Treaty, and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), the representative 
of Liberia said that his Government intended to join them, and currently, the Government of 
Liberia was in consultation with the WIPO for the necessary procedures.  He confirmed that the 
Draft Intellectual Property Act would be furthe r revised to implement these three Treaties.   
- Application of national and MFN treatment to foreign nationals 
272.  The representative of Liberia said that in accordance to Section 8 (National Treatment and 
Most Favoured Nation Treatment) of Draft Intellec tual Property Act, Liberia provided national and 
MFN treatment, for which it had not been granted in the two previous Acts (the Copyright Act of 
1997, and the Industrial Property Act of 2003). 
- Fees and taxes 
273.  The representative of Liberia noted the curre nt fees and taxes structure for trademarks, 
patents, and industrial designs, which were reflecte d in Annex 21 to this Report.  With respect to 
the registration fees on the patent applications, he recognized the current disparity between the 
fees levied on Liberian and non-Liberian firms.  However, he confirmed that this discrepancy would 
be corrected based on the national and MFN treatment as stipulated above upon the full implementation of Draft Intellectual Property Ac t which would be implemented on 1 January 2016. 
- SUBSTANTIVE STANDARDS OF PROTECTION, INCLUDING PROCEDURES FOR THE 
ACQUISITION AND MAINTENANCE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS 
- Copyright and related rights 
274.  The representative of Liberia said that the Copyright Law of 1997 would be repealed in its 
entirety by the Draft Intellectual Property Act.   
275.  Some Members had requested information on examples of the rights associated with 
authors' economic interests in their works.  The representative of Liberia said that unlike in the 
Copyright Law of 1997, Section 9.6 of the Draft In tellection Property Act clearly identified the 
rights associated with authors' economic interests in their works.  It stated "subject to exceptions 
provided for in this Act, the owner of copyright shall have the exclusive right to carry out or to 
authorize the following acts in relation to the work":  
(i) Reproduction of the work; 
(ii) Translation of the work; (iii) Adaptation, arrangement or other transformation of the work; WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  (iv) Distribution of the original or a copy of the work to the public through sale, rental 
or otherwise; 
(v) Rental of the original or a copy of an audiovisual work, a work embodied in a 
sound recording or a computer programme; 
(vi) Public performance of the work; 
(vii) Broadcasting of the work; and, (viii) Other communication to the public of the work. 
 
276.  In response to a specific question what rights and other related right, owners of sound 
recordings had, the representative of Liberia said that, Section 9.7 of the Draft Intellectual 
Property Act would, unlike the Copyright Law of  1997, allow the owner not only have economic 
rights but also moral rights: (i) to have his/her name indicated prominently on the copies and in 
connection with any public use of his/her work; (ii) to not have his/her name indicated on the 
copies in connection with any public use of his/her work; (iii) to use a pseudonym; (iv) to object to 
any distortion, mutilation or other modification of, or other derogatory action in relation to his/her 
work which would be prejudicial to his/her honour or reputation. 
277.  Responding to the question on the terms of protection for authors of works, audiovisual 
works, anonymous works, photographs phonog ram producers, phonogram performers and 
broadcasting organizations, the representative of Liberia cited Section 9.20 of the Draft Intellectual 
Property Act as below:  
-  Authors of works (Section 9.20(a)): the economic and moral rights in literary, musical and 
artistic works, other than photographs, shall be protected during the life of the author and 
for fifty years after the end of the year in which the author dies; 
- Joint authorship of works (Section 9.20(b)): the economic and moral rights shall be 
protected during the life of the last surviving author and for fifty years after the end of the 
year in which that author dies; 
- Audiovisual works (Section 9.20(c)): the econom ic and moral rights shall be protected for 
fifty years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made or first made 
available to the public by authorized publication or by any other means, whichever date is the latest; 
- Broadcasting organizations (Section 9.20(d)): the economic and moral rights shall be 
protected for fifty years from the end of the calendar year in which the broadcast took 
place; 
- Anonymous / pseudonymous works (Section 9. 20(e)): the economic and moral rights shall 
be protected for fifty years from the end of th e calendar year in which the work was made 
or first made available to the public, by authorized publication, whichever date is the latest, provided that where the author's identity is revealed or is no longer in doubt before 
the expiration of the period, the provisions of subsection (a) or subsection (b) shall apply, 
as the case may be; 
- Applied art (Section 9.20(f)): the economic an d moral rights shall be protected for fifty 
years form the end of the calendar year in which the work was made; and 
- Photographs (Section 9.20(g)): the economic an d moral rights shall be protected for fifty 
years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made or first made available to the public by publication, whichever date is the latest. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  278.  In response to a specific question on digital works, the representative of Liberia said that 
the scope of works protected under Section 9 (Copyright and Related Rights) in the Draft 
Intellectual Property Act include "computer programmes" which was defined as a set of 
instructions expressed in words, codes, schemes or in any other form, which was capable, when 
incorporated in a medium that the computer could read, of causing a computer to perform or 
achieve a particular task for result.  In his vi ew, "computer programmes" qualified digital works. 
- Trademarks, including service marks 
279.  Asked to clarify the renewal policy in trademarks, a representative of Liberia said that 
Section 10.9 (Terms of Registration; Renewal) of the Draft Intellectual Property Act was, in his 
view, in compliance with Article 18 of the WTO TRIPS Agreement.  Further, he said that Section 
10.9 went beyond than what Article 18 of the WT O TRIPS Agreement provided for, by allowing the 
term of registration of a mark to be of ten year s each without limits (instead of seven years in the 
TRIPS Agreement) from the date of the registration.  At the expiration of the period that a 
trademark had been registered for, there was a gr ace period of six months to allow the trademark 
owner to renew his/her registration. 
- Geographical indications, including appellations of origin 
280.  The representative of Liberia said that the Dr aft Intellectual Property Act included Section 
11 on geographical indications for goods, except wine and spirits, and Section 11.1(b) particularly 
governed additional protection for wines and spirits.  The additional protection for wines and spirits 
had not been stipulated in the Industrial Property Act of 2003.   
281.  Based on Section 11.4 (exclusion from protecti on) of the Draft Intellectual Property Act, 
whereby an indication that was identical with the term customary in common language in Liberia 
as the common name for the relevant goods or for related services shall not be protected as 
geographical indications, a Member asked two related questions.  First, whether Liberia planned to 
accept those international cheese standards listed in CODEX as generic.  The representative of 
Liberia responded that Liberia would not accept those international cheese standards as listed in 
CODEX as generic, because, in his view, in accordance with Article 4.1.1.1 of Codex General 
Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods, it was required for a labelling to be specific not 
generic.  Furthermore, in accordance with Article 24.6 of WTO Agreement on TRIPS which was 
incorporated in the Draft Intellectual Property Act,  WTO Members were not required to protect a GI 
of another member if that indication had become a generic term for describing a good.  Second, how Liberia would treat the common name element when that name was part of a compound term 
containing a generic term and a geographic place name.  The representative of Liberia said that 
the Draft Intellectual Property Act did not address this particular.  However, he said that as long as 
the compound term containing common name element and a generic term was not misleading, the 
GI would be protected.  If the compound term containing common name element and a generic 
term was misleading and created confusion, it would be considered as unfair trade practice under 
the Draft Competition Law, and would not be protec ted.  He added that the Draft Competition Law WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  was currently being reviewed by stakeholders before being submitted to the National Legislature 
for enactment, envisaged in 2015. 
282.  Asked to list a specific publication where geographical indications registrations could be 
found, the representative of Liberia noted the following publications: the Official Gazette, the 
website of the Liberia Intellectual Property Office when established, the websites of the Executive 
Mansion ( http://www.emansion.gov.lr ), and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 
(http://www.moci.gov.lr ).    Further, asked to specify whether there was a time-frame for when 
the application for the registration of a geographical indication would be published, the 
representative of Liberia said that upon the impl ementation of the Draft Intellectual Property Act, 
the Director-General of the Liberia Intellectual Prop erty Office would issue a regulation to specify 
the time-frame within which an application for the registration of a geographical indication would be published, if the application met the necessary requirements stipulated in Sections 10.5 and 
10.6 of the Draft Intellectual Property Act.  With  respect to the situation where any interested 
person or competent authority might give notice to  the Director-General of the Liberia Intellectual 
Property Office of opposition to the registration  of the geographical indication specifying the 
ground of the opposition, a Member asked what the time-frame of the prescribed period was to file 
an opposition.  The representative of Liberia sa id that upon the implementation of the Draft 
Intellectual Property Act by 1 January 2016, the Director-General of the Liberia Intellectual 
Property Act would issue a regulation prescribing a reasonable timeframe and the manner in which 
an interest person could file his/her opposition to a registration of a geographical indication. 
283.  In response to a specific question on how Liberia intended to treat traditional wine terms 
and semi-generic wine terms under the Draft Inte llectual Property Act, the representative of 
Liberia said that clearly defined traditional wine terms unique to the local wine industry would be 
protected, and semi-generic wine terms would be also protected as long as the label would not 
mislead creating confusion for consumers. 
- Industrial designs 
284.  The representative of Liberia said that the Industrial Property Act of 2003 protected 
industrial designs, and Section 12 of the Draft Intellectual Property Act further enhanced the 
protection for industrial designs, which in his view, complied with WTO Section 4 (industrial 
designs) of TRIPS Agreement.  He said that registered industrial designs were protected for a 
period of ten years from the filing da te of the application for registration. 
- Patents 
285.  The representative of Liberia said that the Indu strial Property Act of 2003 protected patents.  
However, in his view, Section 13 of the Draft Intellectual Property Act which provided for the 
promotion of inventive and innovative activities and the facilitation of the acquisition of technology 
through the granting and regulation of patents and utility models further enhanced the legal WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  protection on patents.  He said that this Section defined the patentable inventions, and the steps and 
procedures to register inventions and grant patents. 
286.  The representative of Liberia said that a patent would expire after 20 years from the filing 
date of the patent application.  Regarding compulsory licensing, the representative of Liberia said 
that Section 13, in his view, complied with Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement as well as the WTO 
Decision on TRIPS and Public Health (WT/L/641).   
- Plant variety protection 
287.  Asked whether Liberia had a sui generis  system for the protection of plant varieties in line 
with Article 27.3 (b) of the TRIPS Agreement, the representative of Liberia said that Liberia was 
not a signatory to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants.  However, 
he noted that the Government of Liberia was a member of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization, which was a member of th e International Union for the Protection of the 
New Varieties of Plant.  Liberia therefore subscribed to African Regional Intellectual Property 
Organization's legal framework, including Draft ARIPO Legal Framework for the Protection of New 
Varieties of Plants (which was referred to in para graph [269] of this Report) for the protection of 
new varieties of plans in accordance with Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS Agreement.  
The representative of Liberia recognized the need  for technical assistance to establish, enhance 
and modernize the administrative and legislative capacity in the area of protecting plant variety.      
- Layout designs of integrated circuits 
288.  The representative of Liberia said that provisions to protect the layout designs of 
integrated circuits had been included in Section 14 of Draft Intellectual Act, whereas the Industrial 
Property Act of 2003 had not addressed the issue.   
- Requirements on undisclosed information,  including trade secrets and test data 
289.  The representative of Liberia said that th e Freedom of Information Act of 2010 provided 
protection for "trade secrets", which in his view, was qualified as "undisclosed information".  
Section 4.4 of the Freedom of Information Act of  2010 stipulated that a document or record was 
exempted from disclosure or public access if its disclosure under the Act would reveal trade secrets 
belonging to a public authority or a private entity, or destroy the commercial value or affect the 
competitiveness of a public authority or private entity in relation to the business or work of the 
authority or entity.  In addition, the representative of Liberia said that since 1994, the Government 
of Liberia had been abided by the Paris Conventi on for the Protection of Industrial Property.  
Thus, although the Draft Intellectual Property Act did not particularly address the protection of 
undisclosed information, the representative of Liberia said that in his view, his Government was in 
full compliance with Article 39 of the TRIPS Agreement. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 78 - 
 
  - MEASURES TO CONTROL ABUSE OF  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS 
290.  The representative of Liberia said that unlik e the Copyright Act of 1997, and the Industrial 
Property Act of 2003, Section 15 (Enforcement of  Intellectual Property Rights) of the Draft 
Intellectual Property Act extensively set the defini tion of infringements of copyright and related 
rights; marks and trade names; geographical indica tions; industrial designs; patents; and layout-
designs. 
- ENFORCEMENT 
291.  Although previously, the representative of Liberia said that enforcement of intellectual 
property rights was minimal, a Member enquir ed whether the situation, for example, which 
previously was that movies and music were duplicated and sold commercially, or broadcasters did 
not tend to pay royalties for use of protected material, had improved.  The representative of Liberia said that currently, the duplication of audio-visual works was prolific in Liberia.  However, 
few measures had been instituted through the publ ic awareness campaigns, so the public became 
aware of the negative impact of duplication on the creativity of rights holders.  Furthermore, the 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry had set up the Anti-Piracy Committee (hereinafter: the 
Committee) which was composed of representatives from the Copyright office, the Liberia 
Industrial Property Office, Ministry of Commerce an d Industry, Ministry of Justice, and the Liberia 
Revenue Authority.  Additionally, since 2013 the Liberia Revenue Authority had established a IPR 
unit to oversee the border enforcement of IPR-relate d laws and regulations.  The basic objective of 
the Committee was to develop plans of actions in ta ckling duplication and piracy through judicious 
means.  Upon the implementation of the Draf t Intellectual Property Act, the enforcement 
mechanism enshrined therein would be used to deal with the issues of duplication.  In relation to 
the non-payment of royalties for the broadcast of protected materials, an awareness campaign by 
holding stakeholders' workshops and public announcements in various news media was currently 
being conducted. 
292.  A Member asked if the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Information, 
Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour, the Liberia Revenue Authority,  and the Ministry of 
Justice worked together regarding enforcing intellec tual property rights, particularly, whether they 
had a consultation mechanism or rather they worked independently.  The representative of Liberia 
replied that the Anti-Piracy Committee provided the institutional platform and mechanism, 
whereby all the Ministries and agencies concerned with the issues relating to intellectual property met and consulted monthly. 
- Civil judicial procedures and remedies 
293.  The representative of Liberia said that civil and administrative procedures and remedies 
were governed by Section 16 of the Draft Intellectual Property Act.  Section 16.1 set out the 
litigation procedures.  Section 16.2 of the Draft Intellectual Property Act was relevant for obtaining WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 79 - 
 
  evidence from the opposing party, which did meet, in his view, the requirements of Section 2 (Civil 
and Administrative Procedures and Remedies) of the TRIPS Agreement.   
- Provisional measures 
294.  The representative of Liberia said that Section 17 (provisional measures) of the Draft 
Intellectual Property Act included provisional measures to prevent any infringement or an unlawful 
use from occurring, or to preserve relevant evidence in regard to an alleged infringement.  In his 
view, the compliance with the prov isions of Article 50 had been fully ensured in Section 17 of the 
Draft Intellectual Property Act. 
295.  He added that where, provisional measures have been ordered, the defendant could file a 
request for review with the court within two weeks from the notification of the decision.  In the 
review proceedings, the court should give the parties concerned an opportunity to be heard and should confirm, modify or revoke the decision with in a reasonable period after the notification of 
the decision. 
296.  Further, the representative of Liberia said that where the provisional measures were 
revoked or where the court decided on the merits of the case that there had been no infringement 
or threat of an infringement, the court should order the applicant, upon the request of the 
defendant, to provide the defendant appropriate compensation for any injury caused by the 
execution of the provisional measure. 
- Administrative procedures and remedies 
297.  The representative of Liberia said that Section 16 (civil and administrative procedures and 
remedies) of the Draft Intellectual Property Act provided for administrative procedures and 
remedies in compliance with Articles 42 through 49 of the TRIPS Agreement.  Section 16 included 
provisions on equitable procedures; evidence; injunctions; damages; other remedies; information 
to holder of the right; indemnification of the defendant; appeals; further sanctions; and 
administrative procedures. 
- Special border measures 
298.  The representative of Liberia said that Section 18 (border measures requirements) of the 
Draft Intellectual Property Act provided for spec ial requirements related to border measures in 
compliance with Articles 51 through 60 of the TRIPS Agreement.  Section 18 included provisions 
on: availability of border measures (suspension of release by customs authorities);  application for 
suspension; request for prima facie  evidence; content of application; security;  procedure; 
inspection and examination of goods; time limit for release of goods; review of decision; 
destruction of goods; right of inspection and information to the right holder;  compensation for 
wrongful detention; de minimis  imports; goods in transit; liability of customs department; and 
appeals. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 80 - 
 
  - Criminal procedures 
299.  The representative of Liberia said that Section 19 (criminal sanction) of the Draft 
Intellectual Property Act provided provisions on criminal procedures in relation to infringement of 
intellectual property rights.  If committed wilfully and knowingly on a commercial scale, the 
infringement of intellectual property rights was punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less 
than one year and not more than two years, or by a fine of not less than US$1,500 and not more 
than US$2,500 or both.  In his view, either of  the two punishments was in accordance with 
Article 61 of the TRIPS Agreement.  He further elaborated the meaning of a commercial scale as 
including the reproduction or distribution, includin g by electronic means, during the period of a 
year, of at least ten copies of a work in which copyright subsisted under the Draft Intellectual 
Property Act, with a view to gaining direct or indirect economic or commercial benefit. 
300.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that Liberia would apply the Agreement on 
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights upon accession.  The Working Party took 
note of this commitment.]   
VI. POLICIES AFFECTING TRADE IN SERVICES 
301.  The representative of Liberia said that the Li berian economy was mainly rural with natural 
resources-based production, and Liberia's services sector was under-developed.  However, he said 
that since the political and economic situation had been stabilized, there had been significant 
growth in the financial and telecommunication serv ices.  The representative of Liberia underlined 
that most other areas of services activities would require substantial new investment, for which in his view, was addressed in Liberia's initial offer on specific commitments in services to attract 
foreign direct investment.   
302.  In response to a specific question on the telecommunications sector, the representative of 
Liberia said that his Government intended to divest its stake in the only Government-owned 
operator, thus promoting private sector ownership and control of the public telecommunications 
facilities and services in Liberia.  This policy direction, in his view, was registered in Liberia's offer 
on specific commitments in services.  
303.  Asked to explain to what extent, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning had 
regulatory tasks for financial services (both bank ing and insurance), the representative of Liberia 
said that based on the existing Law - i.e. the New Financial Institutions Act of 1999 and the 
Central Bank of Liberia Act of 1999, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) was the sole regulatory 
authority of all financial institutions, financial services providers and financial products.  
304.  This authority was clearly stated under Sections 4 (functions of the Central Bank of 
Liberia) and 5 (Powers of the Central Bank of Libe ria) of the Central Bank of Liberia Act of 1999, 
which empowered the Central Bank of Liberia to  regulate and supervise banking and non-bank 
financial institutions, as well as non-bank financial service providers, including insurance WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 81 - 
 
  underwriting.  The Central Bank of Liberia Act of 1999 defined financial institutions as any person 
doing financial transactions that consisted of banking, lending, credit, loan making or rendering non-bank financial services; and it found non-banking financial services, to include: insurance 
underwriting business, loan financing agency, money transfer business, etc.  In this context, the 
Central Bank of Liberia had the mandate to ensure the stability of the financial system in keeping 
with international standards and best practices, and making the system more supportive to the 
economic development of Liberia. 
305.  The Central Bank of Liberia used several inst ruments and tools to regulate and supervise 
the financial system.  These included: (i) enforcement of the New Financial Institutions Act of 
1999; and (ii) promulgate and issue regulations, guidelines, and directives setting prudent 
standards and standards for market conduct.  In addition, the Central Bank of Liberia complemented its regulatory function with an effective compliance and supervisory mechanism, 
using both off-site and on-site examination tools. 
306.  Asked to explain about legal provisions existing in the area of utilities, the representative 
of Liberia said that the Act to Create the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) was approved on 
12 July 1973.  Its main purpose, among others, was to engage in the development, generation 
and transmission of electrical energy, the manufactu re, construction and installation of electrical 
equipment and devices related thereto, and the distri bution and sale of said electrical energy and 
electrical equipment and devices, to cities, towns and the public in general for heating, lighting and 
power purposes and for the carrying on of all business incidental to it.  
307.  The generation and distribution system of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) was 
damaged or destroyed as a result of the civil war.  Currently, the LEC endeavours in making 
progress on repair was undergoing with the result of 22.6MW generation capacity with plans 
underway for the restoration of Mount Coffee Hydro plant, to expand capacity to 80 MW once fully 
restored.  The LEC operated two electrical power systems before and after the civil crisis, namely, 
Monrovia Grid, which served the capital, Monrovia, the surrounding areas and counties, was the 
largest of the two systems, and the Rural Electr ification Net Works which served the remaining 
leeward counties. 
308.  Similarly, the Act to Create the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) was 
approved on 30 January 1973.  Its purpose, among others, was to engage in the management, 
development, construction, installation, manufactu re, operation, transmission, distribution, sale 
and supply to all areas of water and sewage serv ices and of equipment and facilities relating 
thereto within and everywhere inside Liberia. 
309.  These were all public corporations created by  Acts of the Legislature for the purpose of 
providing necessary utility for the public benefit without any profit motive.  In this sense, they 
were merely legal monopolies which were regulated by the Executive Branch of Government 
through a Board of Directors appointed by the Pr esident.  They did not compete on the open 
market for profit.  They were not patented.  They were authorised by law to provide these WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 82 - 
 
  designated utilities services, respectively.  These Public Corporations were responsible for the 
collection of their revenues, settlement of their financial obligations, and disbursement.  All revenues so collected were used solely for the corporations' purposes.  They were audited 
annually by Government and by independent accountants approved by the Board of Directors. 
310.  Regarding a specific question on the travel ag encies sector, the representative of Liberia 
said that in its offer on specific commitments in services, the Government of Liberia committed 
tour operators, excluding airline ticket issuance services (part of CPC 7471), with a limitation on 
mode 3 for market access that foreign investors were required to partner with or enter a joint 
venture with a Liberian natural or juridical person. 
311.  In response to a specific question on the franchising sector under distribution services 
whether the Government of Liberia intended to institute any legislation on franchising, the representative of Liberia said that if a decision were made to propose franchising legislation, it 
would be included in the revised Legislative Action Plan.  
VII. TRANSPARENCY 
- Publication of information on trade 
312.  Some Members requested Liberia to indicate whether trade rules were publicly available, 
and to provide the details on how such information was made public.  A Member particularly 
enquired where in Liberia's laws the requiremen ts in Article X:1 of the GATT of 1994 would be 
found.  The representative of Liberia responded that Section 14259 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 
2000, as Amended in 2011, referred to those requirements in Article X:1 of the GATT of 1994. 
313.  The representation of Liberia said that Liberia had an Official Gazette under the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs.  All important government documents, including laws and regulations, were 
published in this Official Gazette, on the website of the Executive Mansion 
(http://www.emansion.gov.lr ), which was subsequently linked to the websites of the Ministry of 
Commerce and Industry ( http://www.moci.gov.lr ), the Ministry of Finance and Development 
Planning ( http://www.mfdp.gov.lr ), Liberia Revenue Authority ( http://www.lra.gov.lr ), and 
Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism ( http://www.micatliberia.com ).     
314.  Some Members were also interested in the obligatory process of public consultations with 
stakeholders before any law was adopted.  They encouraged the Liberian authorities to regularly 
consult stakeholders on new laws and enact a solid regulatory review process to foster overall 
transparency of its policy-making.  The representa tive of Liberia said that it was common practice 
for stakeholder consultations to be held before a law was enacted.  However, he said that there 
was no existing law or regulatory framework in Liberia that required public consultation or input as 
mandatory before adopting laws.  Although his Go vernment was not legally required to give the 
public an opportunity to review draft laws and regulations, the public was regularly involved in the 
process of drafting legislation through meetings , seminars, and workshops, and their views were WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 83 - 
 
  taken into account.  He stated that Liberia would abide by the transparency-related provisions in 
the WTO Agreements, and would ensure the publication of all relevant legislation or regulations related to the implementation of the WTO Agreements from the date of accession.   
315.  The representative of Liberia further elaborated that, regarding extractive industries 
particularly, in April 2008, the Government of Libe ria declared, by a presidential proclamation, the 
implementation of the International Extractive Indu stries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Criteria 
and Principles as an integral part of the Go vernment's policy of accountable and transparent 
resource governance.  Implementation of this policy was coordinated and led by the Liberia 
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), a multi-partite partnership established by, 
and comprising among, the Government, Civil Society, the private sector, and Liberia's 
development partners ( http://www.leiti.org.lr/ ).  
316.  According to this policy, the disclosure, publication and other reporting obligations, as well 
as the manner of disclosure and publication established by and/or associated with the 
implementation of the Extractive Industries Tran sparency Initiative (EITI), were binding on all 
relevant agencies of the Government as well as all extractive companies operating and/or seeking 
t o  o p e r a t e  i n  L i b e r i a .   A c c e p t a n c e  o f  t h e  E I T I  Criteria and Principles as well as an expressed 
commitment to comply with all EITI obligations were standard, non-negotiable conditions for the 
award of any contract or concession to extractive companies to operate in Liberia.   
317.  The policy obliged and required every extracti ve company, especially oil, mining and 
logging companies, operating in Liberia to disclose,  fully, promptly and in the manner required by 
the EITI Criteria and Principles, all payments ma de to every agency and level of the Government 
of Liberia, or to any other person or entity.  The Government Ministries and agencies referred to in 
the policy included:  the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning; the Ministry of Lands, 
Mines and Energy; the National Oil Company; the Forestry Development Authority (FDA); and 
other relevant agencies of Government. 
318.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that, upon accession, Liberia would fully and 
promptly implement Article X of the GATT 19 94, Article III of the GATS, Article 63 of the 
TRIPS Agreement, and other transparency provisions  in the WTO Agreements requiring notification 
and or publication.  He further confirmed that no law, regulation, judicial decision, administrative 
rulings, or other measures of general application pe rtaining to or affecting trade in goods, services 
and TRIPS would become effective prior to its publication in the Official Gazette, and at least three local dailies, along with the official websites of the relevant Ministries. The publication of such laws, 
regulations and other measures would include the effective date of these measures and list the 
products and/or services affected by the particular measure.  The Working Party took note of 
these commitments.] WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 84 - 
 
  - Notifications 
319.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that, at the latest within six months of the entry 
into force of the Protocol of Accession, Liberia woul d submit all initial notifications required by the 
WTO Agreement.  Any laws, regulations, or other measures subsequently enacted by Liberia, and 
which were required to be notified pursuant to the WTO Agreement, would also be notified in a 
time and manner consistent with WTO requirements.  The Working Party took note of 
these commitments.] 
VIII. TRADE AGREEMENTS 
320.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia had been a member of ECOWAS since its 
inception in 1975, but had signed the Protocol on trade liberalization, but without ratification by 
the Legislature.  Liberia had been fully involved in all activities leading to the formation of the 
ECOWAS customs union with a commitment from al l members including Liberia, for a complete 
migration to the ECOWAS CET by January 2015.   
321.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia was a member of Mano River Union since 
1973, which had been founded by Liberia and Sierra Leone.   Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire had joined 
in 1980 and 2008, respectively.  The four countries were implementing a free trade agreement, to 
foster economic cooperation amongst them.    
322.  The representative of Liberia said that Liberia was part of the ECOWAS group of countries 
engaged in negotiations with the European Commission towards an Economic Partnership 
Agreement (EPA) that should eventually result in a reciprocal trade arrangement dealing with goods but not services or investment.  
323.  [The representative of Liberia confirmed that his Government would observe the relevant 
provisions of the WTO Agreement, includin g Article XXIV of the GATT 1994, the 1979 GATT 
Decision on Differential and More Favourable Treatment, Reciprocity and Fuller Participation of 
Developing Countries (Enabling Clause) and Article V of the GATS in its trade agreements and 
would ensure that the applicable provisions of the WTO Agreements for notification, consultation, 
and other requirements concerning free trade area s, customs unions and other preferential trade 
arrangements, of which Liberia was, or may be come, a member, were met from the date of 
accession.  The Working Party took note of these commitments.] 
CONCLUSIONS 
324.  The Working Party took note of the explanatio ns and statements of Liberia concerning its 
foreign trade regime, as reflected in this Report.  The Working Party took note of the commitments 
given by Liberia in relation to certain specific matters which are reproduced in paragraphs [XXX 
and XXX] of this Report.  The Working Party took note that these commitments had been 
incorporated in paragraph 2 of the Protocol of Accession of Liberia to the WTO. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 85 - 
 
  325.  Having carried out the examination of the foreign trade regime of Liberia and in the light of 
the explanations, commitments and concessions made by the representative of Liberia, the Working Party reached the conclusion that Liberia be invited to accede to the Marrakesh 
Agreement Establishing the WTO under the provisions of Article XII.  For this purpose, the Working 
Party has prepared the draft Decision and Protocol of Accession reproduced in the Appendix to this 
Report, and takes note of Liberia's Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on Goods 
(document WT/ACC/LBR/XXX/Add.1) and its Schedu le of Specific Comm itments on Services 
(document WT/ACC/LBR/XXX/Add.2) that are annexed to  the draft Protocol.  It is proposed that 
these texts be adopted by the Ministerial Confer ence when it adopts the Report.  When the 
Decision is adopted, the Protocol of Accession would be open for acceptance by Liberia which 
would become a Member thirty days after it accepts the said Protocol.  The Working Party agreed, therefore, that it had completed its work concerning  the negotiations for the accession of Liberia to 
the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO.   
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 86 - 
 
  ANNEX 1 
Laws, Regulations and Other Information Pr ovided to the Working Party of Liberia 
Legislation/Regulation Legislative Notice 
(WT/ACC/LBR/…) 
Act Adopting a New Financial Institutions Act  WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Act Adopting the New Petroleum Law of the Republic of Liberia WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Act to Amend the Public Authorities Law to Create the Liberia Electricity Corporation WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Act to Amend the Public Authorities Law to Create the Liberia Water and Sewer 
Corporation WT/ACC/LBR/5 
 
Act to Authorize the Establishment of the Central Bank of Liberia WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Title 5 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised of 1976 ("Associations Law") WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Act Adopting the Environment Protection and Management Law of the Republic of Liberia WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Presidential Executive Order No. 30 on Extension of Presidential Executive Order No. 
24 Suspending Tariff on Road Constructi on Equipment, Forestry Equipment, 
Agricultural Equipment, Live Animals for Breeding, Agricultural Seeds and Specified 
Mining Equipment WT/ACC/LBR/5 
 
Presidential Executive Order No. 40 on Extension of Presidential Executive Order No. 30 Suspending Tariff on Road Constructi on Equipment, Forestry Equipment, 
Agricultural Equipment, Live Animals for Breeding, and Agricultural Seeds WT/ACC/LBR/5 
 
Chapter 1 of Title 3 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised of 1976 ("Agriculture Law"): Plant and Animal Quarantine Act  WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011 WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Amendments to the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000: Consolidated Tax 
Amendments Act WT/ACC/LBR/5 
 
Act Adopting a New General Business Law, Repealing Certain Acts Related Thereto, and Transferring to the Commercial Law the Fraudulent Conveyance Act and Act 
Providing for Voluntary Bankruptcy Proceedings WT/ACC/LBR/5 
 
Investment Act of 2010 WT/ACC/LBR/5 
Administrative Notice No. MCI/002/09/2010 "On the List of Specific Products and Commodities subject to Application of the Import Permit Declaration (IPD)" of 29 
September 2010 WT/ACC/LBR/5 
 
Food and Agriculture Policy Strategy: "Fro m Subsistence to Sufficiency" WT/ACC/LBR/6 
Press release on "Public Service Announ cement", dated 9 April 2012, concerning 
BIVAC Pre-shipment Inspection (PSI) Ta riff for Imports, Exports and Scanning WT/ACC/LBR/6 
Expurgated Clean Report of Findings WT/ACC/LBR/6 
Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, dated 1 February 2012 WT/ACC/LBR/6 
National Port Authority Tariff of Dues and Charges Levied at the Port of Buchanan, 
dated 2002 WT/ACC/LBR/6 
WIPO 2-Year Development Plan for the Re public of Liberia (Cover letter, Final 
Report on the Needs Evaluation, date d May 2009, and Annex V – Sample of 
Registered Trademarks) WT/ACC/LBR/6 
Draft Competition Law WT/ACC/LBR/10 
Draft Copyright Law WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Customs Code WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Foreign Trade Law WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Trademark Act WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Geographical Indications Act WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Patent Act WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Protection Against Unfair  Competition Act WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Layout Designs (Topographies) of  Integrated Circuit Act WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Act to Establish the Liberia Intellectual Property Office WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Industrial Designs Act WT/ACC/LBR/10  
Draft Intellectual Property Act WT/ACC/LBR/12 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  ANNEX 2 
Bilateral Investment Agreements Concluded by Liberia 
Partner Status Date of signature Date of entry into force 
BLEU (Belgium-Luxembourg 
Economic Union) Signed 
(not in force) 5 June 1985  
France In force 23 March 1979 22 January1982 
Germany In force 12 December 1961 22 October 1967 
Switzerland In force 23 July 1963 22 September 1964 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 88 - 
 
  ANNEX 3 
Annual FDI Inflow in Liberia  
   US$, mln 
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
107.9 131.6 283.8 217.8 450.0 508.0 984.6 1061.3 
Source:  World Investment Report 2014, UNCTAD.  
  
  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4
 
- 89 - ANNEX 4 
State Owned Enterprises in Liberia 
No. State Owned Enterprise Purpose and Activities Current Ownership Percentage Planned Privatization Senate 
Confirmation State Nationals Foreigners 
1 Liberia Rubber Development 
Authority To regulate the rubber sector 100%   No No 
2 Liberia Electricity Corporation 
(LEC) To produce and supply 
economic and reliable electric power to the entire nation 100%   No No 
3 Forestry Development 
Authority To sustainably manage and 
conserve all forest resource for the benefit of present and future generation 100%   No No 
4 Liberia Telecommunications 
Corporation (LIBTELCO) To provide 
telecommunications services for the country 100%   Yes (discussions 
on-going on full privatization, no timeline set) No 
5 Liberia Petroleum Refining 
Company (LPRC) To procure and supply quality 
petroleum and petroleum related products to the Liberian market 100%   No No 
6 National Transit Authority 
(NTA) To provide transport services 
to the public 100%   No No 
7 Liberia Water and Sewer 
Corporation To provide water and treat 
solid waste 100%   No No 
8 National Port Authority (NPA) To manage the ports of Liberia 100%   No No 
9 Liberia Product Marketing 
Corporation (LPMC) To support and coordinate the 
exportation of cash crops, 
such as, cocoa, coffee, cashews, etc. 100%   No (process underway 
to transform this SOE to 
a regulatory body) No 
10 Roberts International Airport To manage the Roberts 
International Airport 100%   No No 
11 Liberia Civil Aviation Authority 
(LCAA) To regulate all airports in 
Liberia 100%   No No 
12 National Social Security and 
Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) To manage the social security 
of the work force 100%   No No  
  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4
 
- 90 - No. State Owned Enterprise Purpose and Activities Current Ownership Percentage Planned Privatization Senate 
Confirmation State Nationals Foreigners 
13 National Oil Company To manage Liberia's oil and 
gas industry 100%   No (reform was to take 
place in NOCAL to break it into two separate bodies: a regulatory agency and an national oil company) No 
14 Liberia Maritime Authority To manage Liberia's maritime 
industry and regulate the shipping industry in Liberia 100%   No No 
15 Liberian Bank for Development 
and Investment (LBDI) To provide banking services 
for investment 100%   No No 
16 Liberia Broadc asting System 
(LBS) To provide news media 
information to the general public 100%   No Yes 
17 Liberia Industrial Free Zone 
Authority (LIFZA) To encourage and promote 
foreign cooperation and investments in Liberia 100%   No No 
18 Cable Consortium of Liberia 
(CCL) To bring the first high speed 
fiber optic submarine cable 75%  25%  No No 
19 Liberia Sugar Corporation 
(LSC) Defunct    No No 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 91 - 
 
  ANNEX 5 
List of the Regulatory Bodies, Heads of whic h were Appointed by the President of Liberia 
Name of Regulatory Body Competence of the Regulatory Body Senate 
Confirmation 
Liberia Telecommunication Authority Regulation of the telecommunications sector. Required 
Liberia Civil Aviation Authority Regulation of the civil aviation sector. Not required 
Liberia Maritime Authority - Promotion of enactment of national legislation 
regarding discharge of the responsibilities of the Republic of Liberia under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and other maritime-related international instruments;   - administration of this  Act and development, 
coordination and implementation of the National Maritime Strategy;   - coastal zone management.  Not required 
Liberia Rubber Development 
Authority Regulation of the rubber sector. Not required 
National Port Authority Regulation of all ports in the Republic of Liberia. Not required 
National Oil Company of Liberia Development of the oil and gas industry in Liberia.  Not required 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 92 - 
 
  ANNEX 6 
Fee Structure for Registration of Business1 
Liberia Operation Fee for Liberian 
nationals,  
in L$ / US$ Fee for Foreigners, 
in L$ / US$ 
1.  Name Reservation 
New registration: Name reservation for 120 days 1400 / 16.47 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Name reservation extension for 120 days 1400 / 16.47 1700 / 20 
2.  Sole Proprietorship 
New registration 2000 / 23.53 59500 / 700  
Amendment: Renewal 2000 / 23.53 59500 / 700 
Amendment: Change of particulars 500 / 5.88 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Dissolution 500 / 5.88 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Rescission of dissolution 500 / 5.88 1700 / 20 
3.  Limited Liability Company / Business Corporat ion / Foreign corporatio n / Not – For – Profit 
Foreign Corporation 
New registration 4000 / 47.06 76500 / 900 
New registration (consolidation) 4000 / 47.06 76500 / 900 
Articles of incorporation without par value (100 shares) 1400 / 16.47 1700 / 20 
Articles of incorporation without par value (500 shares) 7000 / 82.35 8500 / 100 
Articles of incorporation without par value (1000 shares) 14000 / 164.71 17000 / 200 
Application for Authority to oper ate or do business in Liberia 
filing fee (applicable to Foreign corporations / Not – For – Profit Foreign Corporation) - 42500 / 500 
Amendment: Renewal 4000 / 47.06 76500 / 900 
Amendment: Change of particulars 1000 / 11.76 4250 / 50 
Amendment: Dissolution 1000 / 11.76  4250 / 50 
Amendment: Merger 1000 / 11.76 4250 / 50 
Amendment: Re-domiciliation 4000 / 47.06 76500 / 900 
Amendment: Re-registration 4000 / 47.06 76500 / 900 
Amendment: Rescission of dissolution 1000 / 11.76 4250 / 50 
4.  Branch / 2Subsidiary for Limited Liability Company / Business Corporation 
New registration 2000 / 23.53 38250 / 450 
Amendment: Change of particulars 750 / 8.82 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Dissolution 750 / 8.82 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Renewal 2000 / 23.53 38250 / 450 
5.  Partnership / Limited Partnership 
New registration: Partnership 3000 / 35.29 68000 / 800 
New registration (consolidation): Partnership 3000 / 35.29 68000 / 800 
Articles of incorporation free free 
Amendment: Renewal 3000 / 35.29  
Amendment: Change of particulars 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Dissolution 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Merger 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Re-domiciliation 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Re-registration 3000 / 35.29 68000 / 800 
Amendment: Rescission of dissolution 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
6.  Branch / Subsidiary for Pa rtnership / Limited Partnership 
New registration 1500 / 17.65 34000 / 400 
Amendment: Change of particulars 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Dissolution 400 / 4.71 1700 / 20 
Amendment: Renewal 1500 / 17.65 34000 / 400 
7.  Not for profit corpor ation / Trust / Foundation 
New registration 3500 / 41.18 34000 / 400 
New registration (consolidation): 3500 / 41.18 34000 / 400 
Articles of incorporation 3500 / 41.18 4250 / 50 
Amendment: Renewal 3500 / 41.18 34000 / 400 
Amendment: Change of particulars 1000 / 11.76 2550 / 30 
Amendment: Dissolution 1000 / 11.76 2550 / 30 
Amendment: Merger 1000 / 11.76 2550 / 30 
                                               
1 The fees, both for Liberians and foreigners, can be pa id either in L$ or US$. On 3 March 2015, Liberian 
dollar exchange rate was L$85 per US$.  
 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 93 - 
 
  Liberia Operation Fee for Liberian 
nationals,  
in L$ / US$ Fee for Foreigners, 
in L$ / US$ 
Amendment: Re-domiciliation 1000 / 11.76 2550 / 30 
Amendment: Re-registration 3500 / 41.18 34000 / 400 
Amendment: Rescission of dissolution 1000 / 11.76 2550 / 30 
8.  Branch / Subsidiary for Not for Profit Corporation /Trust / Foundation 
New registration 1750 / 20.59 17000 / 200 
Amendment: Change of particulars 500 / 5.88 1275 / 15 
Amendment: Dissolution 500 / 5.88 1275 / 15 
Amendment: Renewal 1750 / 20.59 17000 / 200 
9.  Information Services 
Information services: online  account granting free free 
Information services: certified copy of  certificate first year free, after 
first year: 500 / 5.88 first year free, after 
first year: 1700 / 20 
Information services: certified copy of full information firs t year free, after 
first year: 500 / 5.88 first year free, after 
first year: 1700 / 20 
Information services: certified copy of report first year free, after 
first year: 500 / 5.88 first year free, after 
first year: 1700 / 20 
10.        Penalties for Late Renewal 
Sole proprietorship 500 / 5.88 14875 / 175 
Limited liability company / Business corporations 1000 / 11.76 19125 / 225 
Branch / subsidiary for Limited liability company / Business corporations 500 / 5.88 9775 / 115 
Partnership / Limited partnership 750 / 8.82 17000 / 200 
Branch/subsidiary for Partnership / Limited partnership 375 / 4.41 8500 / 100 
Not for profit corporation / Trust / Foundation 875 / 10.29 8500 / 100 
Branch/subsidiary for Not for profit corporation / Trust / 
Foundation 440 / 5.18 4250 / 50 
Source:  Liberia Business Registry. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 94 - 
 
  ANNEX 7 
Structure of the Schedules Contained in  the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000,  
as Amended in 2011 
Schedule Description 
Schedule I  Provided rates of all duties, taxes and penalties levied on goods imported into Liberia, 
including import duty, the Goods and Serv ices tax (GST) and the excise taxes for 
respective products.  The schedule had a total of 5,900 tariff lines.  
Schedule II Listed entities that could import goods duty free  
Schedule III Gave the present authority the right to suspend, abrogate or modify any duties on 
refined gold or other minerals .  It empowered the Mining Board to establish temporary 
duties on any mineral subject to Chapter 6 of the Natural Resources Law.  It also provided for the Ministry of Lands, Mines an d Energy to assess and determine the value 
of rough (uncut) diamonds and other precious stones.  It provided for exports of goods 
to be duty free with a customs user fee of 2.5% being levied on all unprocessed 
exportable goods (provision of export regime)  
Schedule IV Provided for the levy on goods in transit. It stipulated that the levy shall be no more 
than 2.5% on the value of goods in trans-shipment  
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 95 - 
 
  ANNEX 8 
Liberia's Ad Valorem  Tariff Rates Prior to the Introduction of the ECOWAS CET 
No. Tariff Rate Number of Tariff Lines 
01 0% 2 
02 1.5% 9 
03 2.5% 473 
04 5% 1,930 
05 7.5% 870 
06 10% 440 
07 11% 99 
08 15% 989 
09 20% 607 
10 25% 311 
11 45% 1 
12 50% 57 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 96 - 
 
  ANNEX 9 
Liberia's Specific Tariff Rates Prior to the Introduction of the ECOWAS CET 
 
 No. Tariff Rate Number of Tariff Lines 
01 0.10/Lt 5 
02 0.15./Lt 1 
03 0.20/Lt 1 
04 0.25/Lt 3 
05 0.50/Lt 9 
06 0.55/Lt 2 
07 0.65/Lt 4 
08 0.90/Lt 3 
09 1.1/Lt 2 
10 2.5/Lt 1 
11 5/Lt 7 
12 6/Lt 1 
13 0.10/kg 14 
14 0.20/kg 1 
15 0.25/kg 15 
16 0.40/kg 9 
17 0.50/kg 14 
18 0.75/kg 3 
19 0.044/kg 5 
20 0.25/LB 2 
21 0.30/lb 1 
22 0.020/Lb 1 
23 0.20/Yd 4 
24 2/50kg 2 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 97 - 
 
  ANNEX 10 
Structure of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) 
Tariff Rate Number Of Tariff Lines Categories 
0% 85 Necessaries, Special Medicaments, Industrial Machinery 
and Equipment. 
5% 2,146 Raw Materials and other capital goods 
10% 1,373 Intermediate 
20% 2,165 Finished goods 
35% 130 Selected finished produc ts with regional industrial 
production capacity 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 98 - 
 
  ANNEX 11  
Liberia's Import Tariff Waivers throug h Presidential Executive Orders,  
as of March 2015   
Executive 
Order 
Number Products Date of Waiver Announced 
end to 
waiver Estimated 
Number 
of 6-digit 
HS lines Duties 
10 Portland cement* 9/10/2007 9/9/2008 5 US$2 per 
50kg bag 
64 Agricultural equipment, live 
animals for breeding, and agricultural seeds 25/04/2014 24/04/2015 54 US$0 
61 Rice 26/04/2014 25/04/2015 2 US$0.044 
per kg 
60 Unprocessed natural rubber  28/04/2014 27/04/2015  1 US$0 
* Note: Presidential Executive Order No. 10 for ce ment had expired and had not been renewed.   WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 99 - 
 
  ANNEX 12(A) 
Fixed Customs Service Fees for Services at Customs Ports of Entry of Liberia 
No. Description Fee 
1 Special Delivery Permit 50.00 US$ 
2 Scanning of cargo containers (20ft) 50.00 US$ 
3 Scanning of cargo containers (40ft) 100.00 US$ 
4 Replacement of lost clearing documents 100.00 US$ 
5 Penalty for unprocessed declarations left in ASYCUDA System 100.00 US$ 
6 Amendment of submitted declarations 100.00 US$ 
Source:  Section 1802 of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000, as Amended in 2011. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 100 - 
 
  ANNEX 12(B)  
 
Fees for Services in Connection with Im ports, as Charged by "APM Terminals"  
at the Freeport of Monrovia 
 
Part 1:  Rates for Stevedoring 
Stevedoring service Import rate, in 
US$ per unit Empty 
inspection 
rate, in US$ 
per unit Gate charge 
rate, in US$ 
per unit Terminal Handling 
Charge (THC) 
rate, in US$ 
per unit 
20' Import Dry Full  210.83  36.14 108.43 
20' Import Dry Empty   42.16 6.02 12.05  42.16 
20' Import Reefer Full  210.83  36.14 108.43 
20' Transhipment Dry Full   60.24    
20' Transhipment Dry Empty   60.24    
20' Transhipment Reefer Full   60.24    
20' Transhipment Reefer Empty  289.15    
40' Import Dry Full  289.15  36.14 162.65 
40' Import Dry Empty   67.47 6.02 12.05  67.46 
40' Import Reefer Full  289.15  36.14 162.65 
40' Import Reefer Empty   67.47 6.02 12.05  67.46 
40' Transhipment Dry Full   90.36   
40' Transhipment Dry Empty   90.36    
40' Transhipment Reefer Full   90.36    
40' Transhipment Reefer Empty    90.36    
Source:  Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. 
Note on rates for stevedoring: 
 
a) The rate of transhipment is only applicable for ca rgo which enters and leaves  the Terminal by sea, 
passing over or by/through publ ic-use facilities only, on or through bill of lading; and, 
b) The charges for 'Import' are payabl e by the vessel owner, operator, charterer or agent whose vessel 
calls at the port. 
 
The charge for 'THC' and 'Gate Charge' is payable by the owner of agent of the cargo handled at the Terminal. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 101 - 
 
  Part 2: Rates for Storage 
Storage service Period Rate 
Per TEU per day 
Storage Import/ Transhipment 0-7 days  0.00 
Storage Import/ Transhipment  8-13 days 10.25 
Storage Import/ Transhipment  14-20 days 18.07 
Storage Import/ Transhipment  >21 days 30.12 
Storage Empty  0-7 days  0.00 
Storage Empty  8-21 days  2.40 
Storage Empty  >22 days 10.25 
Per tonne per day 
Closed Storage Import  0-7 days  0.00 
Closed Storage Import  8-13 days  6.02 
Closed Storage Import   >14 days  9.64 
Open Storage Import  0-7 days  0.00 
Open Storage Import  8-13 days  4.21 
Open Storage Import  >14 days  7.83 
Per tonne per day for bagged cargo  
Closed Storage Import  0-7 days  0.00 
Closed Storage Import  8-13 days  0.85 
Closed Storage Import   >14 days  1.71 
Per tonne per day for bulk open storage  
Bulk Open Storage Import  0-7 days  0.00 
Bulk Open Storage Import  8-13 days  0.57 
Bulk Open Storage Import  >14 days  1.13 
Source:  Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. 
Note on rates for storage:  
 
a) The storage charges are per TEU and start to accu mulate as from the actual  day of discharge;  
b) The charge for 'Storage Empty' are payable by th e vessel owner, operator, charger or agent whose 
vessel calls at the Port;  
c) The storage charges start to accumulate as from th e actual day of discharge and do not include the 
delivering or receiving of the good to the stor age area from the consignee/shipper transport;  
d) For receiving and delivering to the consignee/shipper transport from the Terminal storage area APMT 
will lease labour/equipment if available; and, 
e) Storage of vehicles will be charged in US$ per tonne with a minimum of one (1) tonne. 
 The charges for 'Storage Import' are payable by the ow ner or agent of the cargo handled at the Terminal. 
  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 102 - 
 
  Part 3: Auxiliary Rates 
 Service Rate  
1 OOG import/export additional handling charge for 
delivering/receiving in the yard US$ 120.48/unit 
2 Hazardous import/export addi tional handling charge for 
delivering/receiving in the yard US$ 84.33/unit 
2 Positioning of containers fo r stuffing/unstuffing at the 
Terminal US$ 96.38/TEU 
4 Monitoring and power for reefers excluding storage  • 0-10 days: US$ 60.24/day 
•>10 days: US$ 72.28/day 
5 All live reefers with special request to be unplugged in yard 
All live reefer containers will be plugged according to manifest upon discharge from vessel • Unplugging: US$ 100/unit 
• Re-plugging: US$ 100/unit 
6 OOG import/export additional handling charge for 
discharging/loading from/onto vessel US$ 120.48/unit 
7 Hazardous import/export addi tional handling charge for 
discharging/loading from/onto vessel US$ 84.34/unit 
8 Shifting on board US$ 96.38/unit 
9 Shifting via quay US$ 120.48/unit 
10 Hatch cover US$ 169.66/move 
11 Gear box US$ 168.66/move 
12 Gang idle time/Gang Standby in case the customer is 
responsible Day: 0700 – 1900. Night: 1900 -0700 US$ 544.32/hour/crane (day)  
US$ 1,089.64/hour/crane (night) 
13 Penalty charge for not vacati ng the berth within two (2) 
hours after completing operations US$ 2,177.29/hour or part thereof 
14 Sweeping empty containers upon request by the customer US$ 12.05/unit 
15 Sealing of empty containers upon request by the customer US$ 6.02/unit 
16 Placard removing US$ 6.02/unit 
17 Knocking down ends of flatbed containers US$ 14.46/unit 
18 Bundling flatbed containers US$ 60.24/bundle 
19 Single container verification upon request by the customer US$ 120.48/unit 
20 Late advice (less than twelve (12) hours before vessel, 
pod, weight, reefer status , hazardous class, etc.) US$ 120.48/shifting plus applicable 
charges for reefer servicing  
21 Additional EIR (original free of charge) US$ 24.10/interchange 
22 Change of container information (to include BL, load vessel, 
pod weight, reefer status , hazardous class, etc.) US$ 30.12/amendment 
23 Fine for undeclared weight, wrongly declared, poorly 
stowed or incorrectly packaged First offence US$ 602.38  
Subsequent offences US$ 3,011.88 each 
24 Administrative fees (for re-processing of invoices) US$ 22.75/amendment 
25 Block stowing of containers in yard  per customer request US$ 22.75/move 
26 Transport container by truck US$ 56.88/unit 
27 Truck with Mafi hire US$ 113.77/unit 
28 Shifting charge (internal yard move per customer request) US$ 22.75/move 
29 If operation plans are not in place 24 hours prior to vessel 
arrival due to customer error US$ 2,177.29 per offence 
30 Leaking container (Non-hazardous) US$ 108.86/day 
31 Leaking container (Hazardous) US$ 136.08/day  
32 OOG gear/gang charge – Break Bulk (4 hours minimum) US$ 524.90 per hour 
33 Manual update to cargo detail in the system US$ 10.50 per update 
34 General Cargo Unitized or palletized handling in CFS US$ 6.02 per tonne 
35 Amendment to manifest after vessel arrived US$ 108.86/amendment 
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015.  
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 103 - 
 
  Part 4: General Cargo Operations 
Operation Unit Handling Rate 
Rice  US$/tonne  10.89 
Cement  US$/tonne  12.05  
Latex Liquid  US$/tonne  3.61 
Latex Crate  US$/tonne  3.61  
General Cargo  US$/tonne  12.05  
Vehicles (Roro)  US$/unit  90.36  
Vehicles (Lolo)  US$/tonne  12.05  
Frozen Product  US$/tonne  6.02 
Timber  US$/cbm  9.64  
Vegetable Oil (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.61  
Clinker (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.74  
Gypsum (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.74  
Limestone (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.74  
Source:  Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015.  
Note: These rates are valid from 1 February 2015 to 31 January 2016. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 104 - 
 
  Part 5: Equipment Hire of Personnel 
Equipment Charge per hour or part thereof, in US$ 
Reach Stacker up to 42 tonnes  524.90/ hr.  
Fork Lift up to 10 tonnes  60.24/ hr.  
Fork Lift 10-25 tonnes  90.36/ hr.  
Fork Lift over 25 tonnes  180.71/hr.  
Labour can be hired in eight (8) hour shifts  30.12/ person  
Pilot boat rental  1,632.96/ hr.  
Tug boat rental  2,177.29/ hr.  
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015.  
Note on Equipment Hire of Personnel: The Terminal, subject to availability, hires out equipment and operators 
for private use within the Terminal.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 105 - 
 
  Part 6: Auxiliary Rates for General Cargo 
 Service  Rate 
1 Imported vehicles that are unabl e to move under their own power 
and have to be pushed, towed or jump started are subject to an 
additional charge of US$ 90.36/unit 
2  Cargo discharged directly over side to barge or coaster or from 
ship to ship will incur the normal stevedoring charges as per Clause 3.2.1 and is subject to an additional charge if APMT labour 
is supplied in the barge or coaster  +50% (applies to any cargo 
Included in Part [4]: "Fees for services related to Imports: General Cargo Operations") 
3  Fine for undeclared, wrongly declared, poorly stowed or 
incorrectly packaged cargo  US$ 2,099.60 / hatch  
4  Terminal Handling Charge for vehicles  US$ 36.14/unit 
5  Terminal Handling Charge for vehicles in access of ten (10) tonnes US$ 126.50/unit  
6  Cargo in excess of ten (10) tonnes  +100% (applied to 12.05 
US$/tonne General Cargo rate, as shown in Part [4]: "Fees for services related to Imports: General Cargo Operations") 
7  Shifting vehicles on board  US$ 108.86/unit  
8  Shifting vehicles via quay  US$ 217.73/unit  
9  General Cargo gate fees (vehicle s & loose cargo)  US$ 11.38/unit  
10  Amendment to manifest after vessel arrived  US$ 108.86/amendment  
11  Administrative fees (for re-processing of invoices)  US$ 22.75/amendment  
12  Transport cargo by truck  US$ 56.88/unit  
13  Truck with Mafi hire  US$ 113.76/unit  
14  If Operation Plans are not in pl ace 24 hours prior to vessel arrival 
due to customer error.  US$ 2,177.29 per offence  
15  Gang idle /Standby time in case the customer is responsible.   
Day: 0700 – 1900. Night: 1900 – 0700.  US$ 544.32/hour/ crane (day) 
US$ 1,089.00/hour/ crane (night)  
16  Penalty charge for not vacating the berth within two (2) hours 
after completing operations  US$ 2,177.29/hour or part 
thereof  
17  Surcharge for non-homogeneous/oversize/heavy weight general 
cargo discharge  US$ 1,000.00 per day  
18  Surcharge for non-operational cargo left on quay by Shipping lines US$ 500.00 per day  
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 106 - 
 
  ANNEX  12(C) 
Fees for Services in Connection with Exportat ion, as Charged by "APM Terminals" at the 
Freeport of Monrovia  
 
Part 1: Rates for Stevedoring 
Service Export rate, in 
US$ per unit Empty 
inspection rate, 
in US$ per unit Gate 
charge 
rate, in 
US$ per 
unit Terminal 
Handling Charge 
(THC) rate, in 
US$ per unit 
20' Export Dry Full 210.83  36.14 108.43 
20' Export Dry Empty 42.16 6.02 12.05 42.16 
20' Export Reefer Full 210.83  36.14 108.43 
20' Export Reefer Empty 42.16 6.02 12.05  
20' Transhipment Dry Full 60.24    
20' Transhipment Dry Empty 60.24    
20' Transhipment Reefer Full 60.24    
20' Transhipment Reefer Empty 289.15    
40' Export Dry Full 289.15  36.14 162.65 
40' Export Dry Empty 67.47 6.02 12.05  67.46 
40' Export Reefer Full 289.15  36.14 162.65 
40' Export Reefer Empty 67.47 6.02 12.05 67.46 
40' Transhipment Dry Full 90.36  
40' Transhipment Dry Empty 90.36    
40' Transhipment Reefer Full 90.36    
40' Transhipment Reefer Empty 90.36    
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. 
Note on rates for stevedoring: 
 
a) The rate of transhipment is only applicable for ca rgo which enters and leaves  the Terminal by sea, 
passing over or by/through publ ic-use facilities only, on or through bill of lading; and, 
b) The charges for 'Export' and 'Export Inspection' are payable by the vessel owner, operator, charterer 
or agent whose vessel calls at the port. 
The charge for 'THC' and 'Gate Charge' is payable by the owner of agent of the cargo handled at the Terminal. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 107 - 
 
  Part 2:  Rates for Storage 
Storage service Period Rate, in US$ 
Per TEU per day 
Storage Export 0-7 days 0.00 
Storage Export 8-13 days 6.02 
Storage Export 14-20 days 12.05 
Storage Export > 21 days 24.09 
Storage Empty 0-7 days 0.00 
Storage Empty 8-21 days 2.40 
Storage Empty > 22 days 10.25 
Per tonne per day 
Closed Storage Export  0-7 days 0.00 
Closed Storage Export  8-13 days 7.83 
Closed Storage Export  >14 days 12.05 
Open Storage Export 0-7 days 0.00 
Open Storage Export  8-13 days 6.63 
Open Storage Export  > 14 days 10.84 
Per day for bagged cargo  
Closed Storage Export 0-7 days 0.00 
Closed Storage Export 8-13 days 0.81 
Closed Storage Export >14 days 1.71 
Per day for bulk open storage 
Open Storage Export 0-7 days 0.00 
Open Storage Export 8-13 days 0.57 
Open Storage Export >14 days 1.13 
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. 
 Note on rates for Storage:   
a) The storage charges are per TEU and start to accu mulate as from the actual  day of discharge;  
b) The charge for 'Storage Empty' are payable by th e vessel owner, operator, charger or agent whose 
vessel calls at the Port;  
c) The storage charges start to accumulate as from th e actual day of discharge and do not include the 
delivering or receiving of the good to the stor age area from the consignee/shipper transport;  
d) For receiving and delivering to the consignee/shipper transport from the Terminal storage area APMT will 
lease labour/equipment if available; and, 
e) Storage of vehicles will be charged in US$ per tonne with a minimum of one (1) tonne. 
 
The charges for 'Storage Export' are payable by the ow ner or agent of the cargo handled at the Terminal.  
 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 108 - 
 
  Part 3:  Auxiliary Rates  for Containers Charged to the Shipper/Consignee 
 Service Rate 
1 OOG export additional handling charge for 
delivering/receiving in the yard US$ 120.48/unit 
2 Hazardous export addition al handling charge for 
delivering/receiving in the yard US$ 84.33/unit 
2 Positioning of containers for stuffing/unstuffing at 
the Terminal US$ 96.38/TEU 
4 Monitoring and power for reefers excluding storage  • 0-10 days: US$60.24/day 
•>10 days: US$72.28/day 
5 All live reefers with special request to be unplugged in yard 
 All live reefer containers will be plugged according to manifest upon discharge from vessel • Unplugging: US$100/unit 
• Re-plugging: US$100/unit 
6 OOG export additional handling charge for 
discharging/loading from/onto vessel US$ 120.48/unit 
7 Hazardous export addition al handling charge for 
discharging/loading from/onto vessel US$ 84.34/unit 
8 Shifting on board US$ 96.38/unit 
9 Shifting via quay US$ 120.48/unit 
10 Hatch cover US$ 169.66/move 
11 Gear box US$ 168.66/move 
12 Gang idle time/Gang Standby in case the customer is 
responsible: Day: 0700 – 1900. Night: 1900 -0700 US$ 544.32/hour/crane (day)  
US$ 1,089.64/hour/crane (night) 
13 Penalty charge for not vacati ng the berth within two (2) 
hours after completing operations US$ 2,177.29/hour or part thereof 
14 Sweeping empty containers upon request by the customer US$ 12.05/unit 
15 Sealing of empty containers upon request by the customer US$ 6.02/unit 
16 Placard removing US$ 6.02/unit 
17 Knocking down ends of flatbed containers US$ 14.46/unit 
18 Bundling flatbed containers US$ 60.24/bundle 
19 Single container verification upon request by the customer US$ 120.48/unit 
20 Late advice (less than twelve (12) hours before vessel, pod, 
weight, reefer status, hazardous class, etc.) US$ 120.48/shifting plus applicable 
charges for reefer servicing  
21 Additional EIR (original free of charge) US$ 24.10/interchange 
22 Change of container information (to include BL, load vessel, 
pod weight, reefer status , hazardous class, etc.) US$ 30.12/amendment 
23 Fine for undeclared weight, wrongly declared, poorly stowed 
or incorrectly packaged First offence US$602.38  
Subsequent offences US$3,011.88 each 
24 Administrative fees (for re-processing of invoices) US$ 22.75/amendment 
25 Block stowing of containers in yard  per customer request US$ 22.75/move 
26 Transport container by truck US$ 56.88/unit 
27 Truck with Mafi hire US$ 113.77/unit 
28 Shifting charge (internal yard move per customer request) US$ 22.75/move 
29 If operation plans are not in place 24 hours prior to vessel 
arrival due to customer error US$ 2,177.29 per offence 
30 Leaking container (Non-hazardous) US$ 108.86/day 
31 Leaking container (Hazardous) US$ 136.08/day  
32 OOG gear/gang charge – Break Bulk (4 hours minimum) US$ 524.90 per hour 
33 Manual update to cargo detail in the system US$ 10.50 per update 
34 General Cargo Unitized or palletized handling in CFS US$ 6.02 per tonne 
35 Amendment to manifest after vessel arrived US$ 108.86/amendment 
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 109 - 
 
  Part 4: Rates for General Quay Handling 
Product Unit Handling Rate, in in US$ 
Rice  US$/tonne  10.89 
Cement  US$/tonne  12.05  
Latex Liquid  US$/tonne  3.61 
Latex Crate  US$/tonne  3.61  
General Cargo  US$/tonne  12.05  
Vehicles (Roro)  US$/unit  90.36  
Vehicles (Lolo)  US$/tonne 12.05  
Frozen Product  US$/tonne  6.02 
Timber  US$/cbm  9.64  
Vegetable Oil (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.61  
Clinker (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.74  
Gypsum (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.74  
Limestone (Bulk)  US$/tonne  3.74  
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. 
 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 110 - 
 
  Part 5: Rates for Equipment Hire or Personnel 
Equipment Charge per hour or part thereof, in US$ 
Reach Stacker up to 42 tonnes  524.90/hour 
Fork Lift up to 10 tonnes  60.24/hour 
Fork Lift 10-25 tonnes  90.36/hour 
Fork Lift over 25 tonnes  180.71/hour 
Labour can be hired in eight (8) 
hour shifts  30.12/person  
Pilot boat rental  1,632.96/hour 
Tug boat rental  2,177.29/hour 
Source:   Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. 
 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 111 - 
 
  Part 6: Auxiliary Rates 
 Service Rate, in US$ 
1 Cargo discharged directly over side to barge or coaster or from 
ship to ship will incur the normal stevedoring charges as per Clause 3.2.1 and is subject to an additi onal charge if APMT labour is 
supplied in the barge or coaster +50% (applies to any cargo 
Included in Table [4]: "Rates for General Quay Handling")  
2  Fine for undeclared, wrongly decl ared, poorly stowed or incorrectly 
packaged cargo  US$ 2,099.60/hatch 
3  Terminal Handling Charge for vehicles  US$ 36.14/unit 
4  Terminal Handling Charge for vehicles in access of ten (10) tonnes  US$ 126.50/unit  
5  Cargo in excess of ten (10) tonnes  +100% applies to 12.05 
US$/tonne (General Cargo rate), as shown in Table [4]: "Rates for General Quay Handling") 
6  Shifting vehicles on board  US$ 108.86/unit  
7 Shifting vehicles via quay  US$ 217.73/unit  
8  General Cargo gate fees (vehicle s & loose cargo)  US$ 11.38/unit  
9  Amendment to manifest after vessel arrived  US$ 108.86/amendment  
10  Administrative fees (for re-processing of invoices)  US$ 22.75/amendment  
121 Transport cargo by truck  US$ 56.88/unit  
13 Truck with Mafi hire  US$ 113.76/unit  
13  If Operation Plans are not in pl ace 24 hours prior to vessel arrival 
due to customer error.  US$ 2,177.29 per offence  
14  Gang idle /Standby time in case the customer is responsible.   
Day: 0700 – 1900. Night: 1900 – 0700.  US$ 544.32/hour/crane (day) US$ 
1,089.00/hour/crane (night)  
15  Penalty charge for not vacating the berth within two (2) hours after 
completing operations  US$ 2,177.29/hour or part thereof 
16 Surcharge for non-homogeneous/oversize/heavy weight general 
cargo discharge  US$ 1,000.00 per day  
17  Surcharge for non-operational cargo left on quay by Shipping lines  US$ 500.00 per day  
Source:  Tariff of APM Terminals Liberia Ltd, issued by APM Terminals Liberia Ltd on 1 February 2015. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 112 - 
 
  ANNEX 12(D) 
Fees for Services in Connection with Importation and Exportation, as Charged 
by NPA at the Port of Buchanan  
 
Handling Charges 
 
1. Charges 
 
Kind of rate Rate 
Ordinary rate US$0.048 per SDWT on each call of vessel 
Reduced Rates 50% of rate per vessel bu nkering or taking provisions only 
Anchorage Dues US$0.0255 for each 12 hours period or parts thereof per SDWT of vessel staying 
within the breakwaters 
 
Exemptions to Ordinary Rates 
 
i. Special vessels paying annual harbor rental - tugs, fishing boat, launches, lighter barges;  
ii. Ships of ware;  
iii. Government vessels not engaged in trade;  
iv. Vessels embarking or disembarking crewmen or sick persons and their baggage only;  
v. Small Mano River Union vessels trading only in Mano River Union Ports; 
vi. Vessels seeking safety from bad weather  
 2. Dockage Due:  
 
Ordinary Rate: US$0.0255 per tonne of SDW will be charged for each period of an hour or part 
thereof of each day to a vessel staying moored to a wharf or another vessel itself so made fast  
a) Exception: 
 
Service Rate 
Vessel loading logs/sawn ti mber US$1.89 per cubic meter 
If a vessel does not work although cargo is available US$0.255 per tonne of SDW will be charged for each 
period of 6 hours the vessel is idle 
 
3. Dredging and Maintenance Dues 
 
Parameters Charge 
<1000  Free 
1000 – 6000 SDWT US$ 0.016 SDWT/0.0096 
>60000 SDWT  US$0.029/SDWT 0.0174 
Small crafts not using a pilot  US$3,000 and US$18/call 
 
4. Occupation of Berth 
 
Berthing condition Rental fee, in US$ 
Berth can be occupied for cargo traffic only. 
Occupation of berth for any other reason, including non-performance of 500 metric tonne/day. (Weight, tonnage for containers)  9/meter occupied shall be levied for 24 hours or any 
part thereof  
Berth can be occupied for cargo traffic only. Occupation of berth for any other reason, including non-performance of 1200 metric tonnes/day 8.75 per meter occupied shall be levied for each 24 
hours or any part thereof 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 113 - 
 
  5. Cargo Fees 
 
Cargo for Buchanan and transshipment: Fee shall be assessed against cargo of ship owner, agent or consignor making use of the port's facilities as follows:  
 
Ordinary rate Minimum (Bulk) Invoice Charge US$14 
per tonne 
Mineral 3.00/1.80  
Petroleum  3.00/1.80 
Other fluids 7.00/4.20 
Other dry cargo 7.00/4.00 
Logs – receiving in log yards, stacking and delivery to 
ship's hook 10.50 per cm3 
Sawn timber – boules 15.00 per cm3 
Coffee, cocoa, rice, palm kernels 9.00 per tonne 
Cargo – all others 12.50 per tonne 
Passenger cars 
Buses (small Buses (large) 60.00/200.00 per unit 
120.00/200.00 per unit 250.00/200.00 per unit 
 
6. Other Rates: 
 
Kind of Rate Charge 
Reduced Rate Any cargo passing from vessel to vessel or shifted on 
the one vessel: US$1.56 
Heavy Lift Charges  a) Cargo weighing between 3 and 5 tonnes b) Cargo weighing between 5 and 10 tonnes c) Cargo weighing over 10 tonnes  
 
50% in addition to its rate 
100% in addition to its rate 150% in addition to its rate 
 
7. Overtime: 
 
7.1. Overtime: services rendered to consignees after normal working hours: 
 
a) During working day overtime: 50% of rate 
b) Night and holiday  100% of rate 
 
7.2. Overtime on break-bulk cargo:  
CONTAINERS (flat, racks, bolster) Loaded (US$ rate) Empty (US$ rate) 
40 feet up to 37 tonnes 138 51 
20 feet up to 18 tonnes 90 18 
20 feet Ammonia tank 200 70 
10 feet up to 9 tonnes 85 17 
20 feet bolsters 115 17 
 
8. Transshipment: At 50% of normal rates: 
 
9. Reduced Rate: 
 
Reduced Rate Per unit (US$) 
Unit passing from vessel to  vessel not passing over 
the wharf 13.80 
Unit landed empty for relo ading on other vessel 17.40 
 
 10. Overtime – For services to consignees after normal working hour: 
 
Time Rate 
Work day overtime 50% of rate 
Night and holidays 100% of rate 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 114 - 
 
  11. Stuffing or Un-stuffing of containers: 
 
Containers Per unit (US$) 
40 feet 180 
20 feet  90 
10 feet  60 
 
12. Storage: 
 
Storage will be assessed against cargo landed fr om vessels and cargo deposited for shipment in 
port as follows: 
 
12.1. General Cargo:  
Ordinary rates per tonne and day or part thereof 
 
Period Covered (US$) Opened (US$) 
Day 1 – 7  Free Free 
Day 8 – 14 1.20 0.90 
Day 15 – 21 2.40 1.20 
Day 22 – 28 3.00 1.80 
Day thereafter 3.60 2.40 
 
12.2. Reduced rates – transshipment cargo shall be assessed at the following rates:  
 
Period Covered  (US$) Opened (US$) 
Day 1- 10  Free Free 
Day 11 -21 0.50 0.90 
Day 22 -28 2.50 1.20 
Day thereafter 5.00 3.00 
 13. Storage for Logs:  
 
Service Rate 
Space can be rented in the Logging Park US $1.50 per square meter pe r year with minimum 
charge of US$1.500 
 
14. Containers – Flat Rack 
At the same condition as per General Cargo 
 1. Ordinary Rates: Per unit per day: 
 
Period 40 Feet (US$) 20 feet & under racks (US$) 
Day 1 – 14 Free Free 
Day 15 – 28 12.00 3.00 
Day 29 – 42 24.00 6.00 
Day thereafter 36.00 18.00 
 
2. Reduced Rates – Transit & Transit shipment cargo shall be assessed at the following rates:  
 
Period Transit (US$) Transit shipment (US$) 
Day 1 – 14 Free Free 
Day 15 – 21 10.00  3.00 
Day 22 – 28 20.00  5.00 
Day thereafter 40.00 15.00 
Source:  National Port Authority. WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 115 - 
 
  ANNEX 12(E) 
Fees for Services in Connection with Impo rtation and Exportation, as Charged by the 
National Port Authority (NPA ) at the Port of Greenville 
 
Tariff for Handling Charges 
 
1. Port Fees 
1.1.1  Ordinary Rates: 
 
Kind of Rate Rate 
Rate per vessel US$0.04 per Summer Dead Weight (SDWT) 
Reduced rates 
a) Bunkers 
b) Ship's stores and/or pr ovisions for their own use US$0.03 per SDWT 
Anchorage rate US$0.03 per SDWT fo r each 12 hour period of part 
thereof while anchored within port's limits  
 
1.1.2  Exemptions for ordinary rates: 
 
a) Vessels paying monthly or annual inclusive (se exception under mooring and 
berthing); 
b) Government vessels not engaged in trade; 
c) Ships of war; 
d) Vessels taking on or putting off seagoing  laborers and/or sick persons and their 
baggage(s) only; and, 
e) Vessels seeking the safety of the harbor from bad weather.  
 
 
1.1.3  Exemptions for anchorage rates: 
 
a) Government ship not engaged in trade; 
b) Vessels loading at its private pier; 
c) Vessels taking on or putting off seagoing  laborers and/or sick persons and their 
baggage(s) only; 
d) Vessels seeking the safety of the harbor from bad weather; and, 
e) Vessels moving to and from berth, mooring or anchorage during any 12-hour 
period before dockage payment is due. 
  
Light and Buoyage fees Charge (US$) 
Crafts and vessels over one hundred tonnes of net 
registry tonne, entering the port, either mooring 
alongside or at anchor 0.02 cents per SDWT as light and buoyage fees.  
 
Port Rent (Dockage) for vesse l berthing at the Port of 
Harper shall be charged at a rehab  US$0.05 per tonne on her SDWT for every 12 hours 
during which she remains in the Port of Greenville either alongside the wharf or moored on buoys 
Coastal Vessels Exempted fro m light and buoyage dues 
 
1.1.4  Dredging and Maintenance: 
 
Charges will be assessed against each vessel entering the port for dredging and maintenance 
as follows:   
Vessel Rate 
Up to 1,499 Free 
1,500 to 99,999 US$0.015 
100,000 and above US$0.02 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 116 - 
 
  Exemptions for Dredging and Maintenance (also apply to Pilotage/Charge for Towage and Tug 
Hire/Mooring Springs):   
 
a) Vessels changing berth at the direction of the Port Manager for the port's 
convenience, provided such direction does not arise from a contravention of or 
failure to comply with the terms of this tariff or port regulations; and,  
b) Small Manor River Union vessels engaged in trade between union ports. 
 
1.2 Charges for Marine Services: 
 
Service Rate (US$) or percentage 
Pilotage: The charges for pilotage fees to vessels, 
their owner or agents shall be payable for use of a pilot within port's limit with respect to ordinary berthing, un-berthing and shifting  0.02 per SDWT per move. 
Reduced Rates Pilotage will be assessed against a vessel at one-half 
the ordinary rate at the Greenville port 
Overtime a) For pilotage for overtime  b) For pilotage services rendered during nights overtime period (2300 – 0700) and on Sundays and Public Holidays  
a) An additional 50% of the ordinary rate  b) An additional 100% of the ordinary rate 
Detention and Cancellation of Pilotage  a) Detention of a pilot (waiting time) beyond the appointed time for which ordered  b) Cancellation of a pilot request less than (30) thirty 
minutes notice between 0700 – 1600 (office hours) 
 c) Cancellation of a pilot request less than two (2) hours' notice between 1600 – 1700 (office hours)  
 a) For each hour or part thereof, 75.00   b) 75.00 
 
 c) 100.00 
 
1.3 Charges for Towage and Tug Hire: 
 
Towage per Movement Amount (US$) 
0 – 5,000   400.00 
5,001 – 10,000   800.00 
10,000 – 20,000 1,200.00 
20,001 – 30,000 1,600.00 
30,001 – 40,000 2,000.00 
40,001 – 50,000 2,400.00 
50,001 and above 3,000.00 
 
1.3.1  Detention and Cancellation of Tugs: 
 
Charge Rate (US$) 
Detention and Cancellation of Tugs: 
 a) Detention of tugs (waiting time) beyond the appointed time   b) The master or agent of any vesse l shall give at least one hour's 
notice to the port manager of the time such vessel will be ready to leave the port. If the master intends that his vessel shall leave between 4:00PM and 7:00PM, such notice must be given to the port manager before 3:30PM preceding depa rture.  Cancellation of a tug 
with less than one (1) hours' notice during this period  
 a) 100.00 per movement per hour of part thereof  b) Flat charge of US$80 
Overtime  For any service performed or fo r any detention during weekly 
overtime hours (4:00PM – 10:00PM) 50% additional to all applicable rates  
 100% on Sunday and Holidays 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 117 - 
 
  2 Line Handling (Mooring/Berthing). 
 
2.1.1  Ordinary Rates: 
 
Summer Dead Weight (SDWT) Rate, in US$ 
Ordinary Rate 
 a) Less than 60,000  b) More than 60,000  
 50.00 per move   100.00 
Mooring Springs  a) Mooring springs per day or part of a day from 12:00 Noon per springs 
 b) Mooring springs per day or part of a day from 12:00 Noon per hurricane rope: 
  
 a) US$13.00  b) US$26.00 
 
2.1.2  Overtime – the following surcharges will apply:  
 
Days Rate 
Workdays for period 1500 – 2300 50% 
Workdays for period 2300 – 0700  100% 
Holidays for period 0000 – 2400  100% 
 
2.1.3  Ordinary Rates & detention of launch beyond the first hour: 
 
Ordinary Rates & Detention of La unch US$ per trip up to 1 hour 
Within breakwaters 60.00  
Outer roadstead 90.00 
 
2.1.4  Overtime: 
 
a) An additional 50% of the above charges will be assessed for service during the 
working day overtime; and,  
b) An additional 100% of the above charges will be assessed for services during night 
and holiday overtime. 
 
2.2      Charges for Sundry Vessel Service: 
 
Kind of Rate Rate 
Ordinary standby rate: 0700 – 1200 and 1300 – 1500 US$25 per gang per hour 
Overtime: 1200 – 1300 US$30 per gang per hour 
 
2.2.1  Sorting to Mark: the following rates will be assessed for excessive sorting to marks:  
 
Kind of Rate Rate 
During normal working hours US$0.25 per package 
During overtime hours US$0.50 per package  
 
2.3 Transshipment, Cargo Charges. 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 118 - 
 
  2.4 Ordinary Rates: 
 
Service Rate 
For receiving from vessel, giving the master or agent 
receipt, depositing warehous e or in open storage space 
or in on-carry coastwise vessel, or subsequently 
conveying to ship's side and placing the goods in the ship's sling or loading onto consignee's truck and taking a receipt from the respective  o-carrying vessel, vehicle 
for each separate consignment each US$7.00  
 
Direct from vessel-to-vessel by lig hter or truck: US$1.50 per tonne 
When landed and stored, before  re-shipment US$1.75 per tonne 
Packages and articles over the tonnages of two each 
special rate Minimum charges any one consignment each 
is US$7.00 
 
2.4.1  Late submission of shipping specification: 
 
The following charges will be assessed on agent of vessel for late submission of specification for loading logs and/or sawn timber (or any other cargo). If the specifications are not submitted to the port 48 hours before ship's arrival:  
 
Product Rate 
Logs US$3.00 per m3 
Sawn timber  US$3.00 m3 
 
2.4.2  Fresh Water:  
 
Fresh water will be supplied to vessel at the main quay and certain other berths at the 
following rates:  
 
Service Rate 
Water 1m3 10,000 liters part thereof US$5.00 
Attendance charge per connection US$15.00 
 
2.4.3  Charges for Cargo Service:  
 
Service Minimum Invoice Charge (US$) 
Loose cargo 6.00 per tonne but no less than 8.00 
Palletized cargo 5.25 per tonne but no less than 8.00 
 
2.4.4  Cargo: 
 
Product Charge per Tonne (US$) 
Rubber  
Latex  1.00 
Crated and Palletized Rubber  5.00 
Break Bulk Rubber   5.25 
Palm Oil  3.00 
Petroleum Products  1.00 
Rice  5.30 
Hose 15.00 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 119 - 
 
  ANNEX 12(F) 
Fees for Services in Connection with Impo rtation and Exportation, as Charged by the 
National Port Authority (NPA ) at the Port of Harper 
 
1. Charges applicable to the Port to cargo consignees for cargo discharged and to shippers for 
cargo loaded:  
 
Item Charge (US$) 
Loose Cargo 5.00 per tonne with  an invoice charge of 9.00 
Palletized Cargo 4.75 per tonne with a minimum charge of 8.00 
Rubber  
a) Latex 
b) Crated and palletized rubber 
c) Break bulk rubber  
0.80 per tonne 4.50 per tonne 480 per tonne 
Petroleum products 3.00 per tonne 
Rice  4.80 per tonne 
Swan timber/plywood/receiving, warehousing, delivery 
and wharfage charges 5.25 per tonne 
Logs (tonnes = revenue tonnes, being the greater of weight tonne and value in m3: 
Receiving, off loading and stacking in logfield 5.00 per tonne 
Transporting to ship's hook (sinkers) 3.00 per tonne 
Handling, including supply of cable 4.75 per tonne 
Taking unshipped logs back to log field 2.50 per tonne 
Sorting for cross-cutting, insp ection upon request for any 
loading 2.80 per tonne 
Unloading logs on Sunday an d/or holidays, exclusive of 
regular handling rates 20.50 per tonne 
Rafting and towing 2.00 
 
2. Private and Commercial Vehicles: 
 
2.1 Ordinary Rates:  
Vehicle Rate 
Up to 3 tonnes capacity US$50.00 
More than 3 tonnes capacity US$100.00 
 
2.2. Exemptions: 
 
i. Personal baggage of passenger, excluding motor vehicles or animals;  
ii. Goods shipped which have been landed in error;  
iii. Cargoes discharged and re-shipped solely for purposes of effecting repairs to a vessel;  
iv. Transshipment cargoes;  
v. Bunker, fuel oil, stores or provisions delivered to vessel for their own consumption;  
vi. Mails. 
 3. Reduced Rates:  
 
Type of cargo Rate 
Cargo passing from ship to  ship US$1.50 per tonne 
Cargo landed and reloaded US$1.75 per tonne 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 120 - 
 
  4. Special Rates: 
 Heavy lifts (excluding logs and time) when port equipment or employees are involved, additional 
percentage charges will be made as follows:  
 
Weight Rate 
Up to 5 tonnes 50% of the ordinary rate 
Thereafter 100% of the ordinary rate 
 
5. Sorting:  
i. The following fees will be charged for sortin g when vessel discharges cargo mixed marks.  
 
Timing Rate 
During normal working hours US$0.25 
During overtime hours US$0.50 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 121 - 
 
  ANNEX 13 
Products that are Subject to Excise Taxes 
Chapter Description and HS Section/Code Excise tax rate 
for domestic 
products Excise tax rate for 
imported products 
Chapter 17 Sugar and Suga r Confectionery: Codes 
1701.91.10 to 1701.99.90 5% 5% 
Chapter 21
  Miscellaneous Edible Preparation: Code 
2106.90.00 5% 10% 
Chapter 22 Mineral and aerated water: Section 2201. 0% 35% 
Non-alcoholic beverages: Section 2202. 2% 10% 
Alcoholic beverages: Sections 2203, 2204, 
2205, 2206 and 2208. 35% 35% 
Vinegar containing alcohol: Code 2209.00.10 0% 10% 
Chapter 24 Tobacco: Section 2401 35% 35% 
Chapter 25  Granite, porphy rl, basalt, sandstone, and 
other monumental or building stone, Asbestos: Codes 2516.11.00 and 2524.00.00 35% 35% 
Chapter 26
  Ores, Slag and Ash: Chapter 26 7% 7% 
Chapter 27  Mineral Fuels, mineral Oils and Products: 
Chapter 27 7% 7% 
Chapter 28 
  Inorganic and Organic Compounds: Codes 
2804.10.00 to 2804.50.00 20% 20% 
Chapter 33 
  Essential oils, perfumery of Cosmetics: 
Section 3303.00.10 to 3303.00.90, Section 3305.10.00 to 3305.90.00 10% 10% 
Chapter 38 Miscellaneous Ch emical products: Section 
3811.21.00 and 3819.00.00 7% 7% 
Chapter 68  Articles of Asphal t, Stone, Plaster, Cement, 
Asbestos etc.: Codes 6811.10.00, Section 
6812, Code 6813.20.00 35% 35% 
Articles of asphalt or of similar material: Code 
6807 7% 7% 
Chapter 85 
  Electrical instantaneous or storage water 
heaters and immersion heaters and other domestic electrical appliances, including hair dryers: Sections 8516 to 8516 20% 20% 
Chapter 95 
  Video Games Consoles and funfair machines, 
casino games: Section 9504 30% 30% 
Chapter 96 
  Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles: Codes 
9601.10.00, 9601.90.00 and 9602.00.00 20% 20% 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 122 - 
 
  ANNEX 14 
Vehicles subject to the Environmental Charge 
Category Punitive Tax 
Rate 
Used motor vehicles above ten years but less than sixteen years (11 – 15 years)  10% 
Used motor vehicles above fifteen years but not more than twenty years (16 – 20 years) 20% 
Used motor vehicles above twenty years but not more than twenty-five (21 – 25 years) 30% 
Used motor vehicles above twenty-five years  50%  
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 123 - 
 
  ANNEX 15 
Categories of Products subject to Import Permit Declaration (IPD) 
No. Category 
1 Fresh and frozen meat and meat  products, including poultry 
2 Fresh and frozen fish and crustaceans  
3 Fresh and frozen vegetables and tubers (e xcluding canned, preserved, or dried) 
4 Fresh fruits and nuts (excluding canned, preserved, or dried) 
5 Dairy produce, including milk, cream, bu tter, cheese, and eggs (excluding powder) 
6 Bottled water and alcoholic beverages 
7 Products of the milling industry, including rice, flour, and starches 
8 Live animals, all types  
9 Prescription medicines/pharmaceut icals and biological substances 
10 Specialized medical, dental, or veterinary apparatus and equipment 
11 Inorganic and organic products of the chemical industry, chemical elem ents,  acids, and chemicals (e.g. 
lead, potassium bromide, mercury, sodium, monoso dium glutamate, formaldehyde, sulphuric acid), 
including ozone-depleting substances  
12 Fertilizers containing nitrates 
13 Petroleum products, including crude and refined oil and petroleum gases 
14 Explosives, pyrotechnics, fi reworks, and combustible liquid or gas preparations 
15 Military tanks and weapons, arms and ammunition 
16 Hazardous waste (including clin ical waste, municipal waste, se wage sludge, and other wastes) 
17 Building materials (including lime, cement, steel rods, plywood, PVC pipes, sheets of zinc, and ceramic 
flooring blocks) 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 124 - 
 
  ANNEX 16 
PSI Fees for Imports 
Product and value PSI fee paid 
All products: FOB value below US$3,500 & US$1,500 for seaport and 
land border/airport, respectively No fee to be paid 
FOB ranging from US$3,500 to US$15,835 (seaport only) US$190 
FOB above US$15,835 1.2% 
Crude Oil and Refined products   US$2 per metric tonne 
Rice  US$1 per metric tonne 
Source:   Customs, Ministry of Finance and Develo pment Planning, and Liberia Revenue Authority WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 125 - 
 
  ANNEX 17 
Customs User Fee Rates in Connection with Exportation 
Export Regime Current Custom s User Fees Other Levies 
Export of finished/processed goods 0% None 
Export of semi-pro cessed goods 1.25% of the FOB None 
Export of unprocessed goods 2.5% of the FOB None 
Trans-shipment 2.5% of the CIF None 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 126 - 
 
  ANNEX 18 
National Laboratories of Liberia 
Laboratory Scope of Test ing Ministry Legislation 
Central Veterinary 
Diagnostic Laboratory (Ledlum Lab) Animal diseas e diagnosis 
and control Ministry of Agricultur e Chapter 1 "Plant and 
Animal Quarantine", Chapter 2 "The National Livestock Artificial Insemination Act" of Title 3 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("Agriculture Law")  
National Standards Laboratory (NSL)  Analytical testing, 
microbiological testing and calibration  Ministry of Commerce 
and Industry Chapter 29 of Title 12 of 
the Liberian Code of Laws Revised ("Executive Law") 
Drugs Testing Laboratory  Testing medicines 
and health products for quality Ministry of Health Section 2 of Part IV of the 
Act to Establish Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) of 2010  
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 127 - 
 
  ANNEX 19 
Recipients of Investment Incentives  under the Revenue Code of 2000, 
as Amended in 2011, as of 6 March 2015 
No. Company 
Name Potential 
Liberian 
Employment Sector Ownership Date 
Granted Date of Expiration
1. Liberia Coca 
Cola Bottling Corporation (LCCBC) 28 Manufacturing 100% 
Foreign 27 June 
2014 26 June 2019 
2. Monrovia 
Breweries 26 Manufacturing 24% 
Liberian, 76% Foreign 28 June 
2014 27 June 2019 
3. Liberia Uniform 
Company 35 Manufacturing 100% 
Liberian 17 April 
2014 16 April 2019 
4. MG Forest 479 Manufacturing 100% 
Foreign 27 
February 2014 26 February 2019 
5. Zircon 55 Assembling 
Finished 
Products 100% 
Foreign 20 
February 
2014 19 February 2019 
6. MDMC Express 184 Transport 
Infrastructure  100% 
Liberia 24 October 
2014 23 October 2019 
7. ADI Contractor, 
Inc. 44 Manufacturing 100% 
Foreign 19 August 
2014 18 August 2019 
8. Jump 
Pharmaceuticals International 90 Manufacturing 20% 
Liberian, 80% Foreign 30 
September 2014 29 September 2019 
 Sub-Total 1,027     
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
- 128 - 
 
  ANNEX 20 
Liberia's Status regarding WIPO Treaties 
Treaty Status Entry into Force 
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary 
and Artistic Works In force 8 March 1989 
Paris Convention  for the Protection of Industrial 
Property In force 27 August 1994 
Patent Cooperation Treaty In force 27 August 1994 
Madrid Agreement Concerning the International 
Registration of Marks In force 25 December 1995 
Patent Law Treaty In force  2 June 2000 
Convention for the Protec tion of Producers of 
Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms In force 16 December 2005 
Madrid Protocol  Concerning 
the International Registration of Marks In force 11 December 2009 
Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to 
Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled In force June 28, 2013 
Convention Establishing the World Intellectual 
Property Organization In force 8 March 1989 
Washington Treaty  on Intellectual Property in 
Respect of Integrated Circuits Signature Not entered into force yet 
 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  ANNEX 21 
Registration Fees for Copyrights, Tradem arks, Patents, and Industrial Design 
Measure Fee in US$  
Copyright registration 40 
Trademark registration 75 
Trademark renewal 50 
Authentication of trademark (verificatio n of the registrar trademark registry) 50 
Patent application – for Liberians 75 
Patent application – for non-Liberians 150 
Industrial design application 75 
Business merger 50 
Business assignment 50 
Amendment of the articles of incorporation 75 
Change of name of the relevant company 75 
Change of address of the relevant company 75 
 
 
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 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  APPENDIX 
[   Draft Decision 
ACCESSION OF LIBERIA 
Decision of […] 
 The [Ministerial Conference][General Council], 
 Having regard to  paragraph 2 of Article XII and pa ragraph 1 of Article IX of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (the "WTO Agreement"), and the 
Decision-Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed by the 
General Council (WT/L/93), 
 
 [ Conducting  the functions of the Ministerial Confer ence in the interval between meetings 
pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article IV of the WTO Agreement,] 
 
 Taking note  of the application of Liberia for accession to the WTO Agreement dated [8 May 
1995], 
 
 Noting  the results of the negotiations directed toward the establishment of the terms of 
accession of Liberia to the WTO Agreement and having prepared a Protocol on the Accession of 
Liberia, 
 
 Decides  as follows: 
1. Liberia may accede to the WTO Agreement on the terms and conditions set out in the 
Protocol annexed to this Decision. 
 
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 WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  DRAFT PROTOCOL 
ON THE ACCESSION OF LIBERIA 
Preamble 
 The World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO"), pursuant to the 
approval of the [Ministerial Conference][General Council] of the WTO accorded under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO Agreement"), and Liberia, 
 Taking note  of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of the Republic of Liberia to 
the WTO Agreement reproduced in document WT/ACC/LBR/[..], dated […] (hereinafter referred to as the "Working Pa rty Report"), 
 Having regard  to the results of the negotiations on the accession of Liberia to the 
WTO Agreement, 
 Agree as follows: 
PART I - GENERAL 
1. Upon entry into force of this Protocol pursuant to paragraph 8, Liberia accedes to the 
WTO Agreement pursuant to Article XII of that Agreement and thereby becomes a Member of the WTO. 
2. The WTO Agreement to which Liberia accedes shall be the WTO Agreement, including the 
Explanatory Notes to that Agreement, as rectified, amended or otherwise modified by such legal instruments as may have entered into force before the date of entry into force of this Protocol.  This 
Protocol, which shall include the commitments referred to in paragraph […] of the Working Party 
Report, shall be an integral part of the WTO Agreement. 
3. Except as otherwise provided for in paragraph […] of the Working Party Report, those 
obligations in the Multilateral Trade Agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement that are to be 
implemented over a period of time starting with the entry into force of that Agreement shall be implemented by Liberia as if it had accepted that Agreement on the date of its entry into force. 
4. Liberia may maintain a measure inconsistent with paragraph 1 of Article II of the GATS 
provided that such a measure was recorded in the list of Article II Exemptions annexed to this 
Protocol and meets the conditions of the Annex to the GATS on Article II Exemptions. 
PART II - SCHEDULES 
5. The Schedules reproduced in the Annex to this Protocol shall become the Schedule of 
Concessions and Commitments an nexed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
(hereinafter referred to as the "GATT 1994") and the Schedule of Specific Commitments annexed to 
the General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to Liberia.  
The staging of the concessions and commitments listed in the Schedules shall be implemented as specified in the relevant parts of the respective Schedules. 
6. For the purpose of the reference in paragraph 6(a) of Article II of the GATT 1994 to the date 
of that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of the Schedule of Concessions and Commitments 
annexed to this Protocol shall be the date of entry into force of this Protocol. 
PART III - FINAL PROVISIONS 
7. This Protocol shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by Liberia until […] or 
such later date as may be decided by the General Council. 
8. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the day upon which it shall 
have been accepted by Liberia.  WT/ACC/SPEC/LBR/4 
 
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  9. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of the WTO.  The Director-General 
of the WTO shall promptly furnish a certified copy of this Protocol and a notification of acceptance by Liberia thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each Member of the WTO and to Liberia.   
10. This Protocol shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the 
Charter of the United Nations.   
 Done at […] this […] day of […] in a single copy in the English, French and Spanish 
languages, each text being authentic, except that a Schedule annexed hereto may specify that it is 
authentic in only one of these languages, and the Working Party Report is authentic in English only. 
 
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  ANNEX 
SCHEDULE […] – LIBERIA 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/LBR/../Add.1) 
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SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS ON SERVICES 
LIST OF ARTICLE II EXEMPTIONS 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/LBR/../Add.2)  ] 
 
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