Sees It As Turning Point for Liberia’s Rural Economy
Monrovia, Liberia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s decision to permanently prohibit the export of raw natural rubber has received full support from Liberia’s largest association of rubber farmers, which hailed the move as a long-awaited change that could transform one of the nation’s most significant agricultural sectors. Executive Order No. 166, according to the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia (RPAL), which represents thousands of smallholder farmers nationwide, gives a chance to undo decades of exporting raw materials with little return to rural communities.
RPAL President Wilhelmina G. Mulbah Siaway praised the administration’s decision to mandate that more rubber be processed domestically before it is exported, saying, “This is a landmark policy that demonstrates President Boakai’s unwavering commitment to protecting the livelihoods of Liberian rubber farmers.”
As part of the Boakai administration’s larger industrialisation plan, the Executive Order, which was issued on June 26, forbids the export of raw natural rubber starting on July 1. Technically Specified Rubber (TSR), ribbed smoked sheets, and latex concentrate are among the processed rubber items that can still be exported, while raw latex, cup lumps, bark trash, and other unprocessed rubber products are prohibited.
The strategy represents one of Liberia’s biggest interventions in the natural rubber industry in recent years. Liberia is Africa’s largest producer of rubber. The goal, according to government officials, is simple: instead of exporting raw materials for processing abroad, promote home manufacturing, create jobs, and increase government revenue in order to maintain more value within Liberia.
Mulbah Siaway interprets the announcement from a different perspective. “For decades, Liberian rubber farmers have endured unfairly low farm-gate prices, exploitation by illegal middlemen, and the continuous export of raw rubber without any meaningful value addition to the national economy,” she said. “While other countries have benefited from processing Liberia’s raw rubber into finished and semi-finished products, rural Liberian farmers have remained trapped in poverty despite their hard work.”
According to the group, the export ban has the potential to significantly alter that calculation. Requiring more processing in Liberia, according to RPAL, will boost demand for locally made rubber, grow domestic factories, and create jobs for young people, technicians, and skilled workers. Additionally, the organization anticipates that the strategy would reduce unlawful cross-border trade, which has cost the government tax revenue, while strengthening licensed enterprises.
“This policy will protect farmers’ livelihoods by reducing exploitation at the farm gate and promoting more stable and competitive prices for raw rubber,” Mulbah Siaway said, adding that stronger domestic processing would allow Liberia to capture a larger share of the rubber value chain before products reach international markets.
Companies that violate the Executive Order risk severe consequences, such as the seizure of rubber that has been illegally exported, fines of up to $100,000 for businesses, permanent loss of export permits for repeat offenders, and potential criminal prosecution. The Liberia Revenue Authority, the Rubber Development Fund, the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, and Finance and Development Planning have all been instructed by the government to work together to implement the policy.
Additionally, the Order mandates that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, create regulations within 30 days that will enhance smallholder farmers’ access to domestic markets, especially those in remote areas that have traditionally relied on cross-border sales of raw rubber. RPAL has pledged to work alongside government institutions, licensed processors and development partners to ensure the policy succeeds.
“We are confident that, with effective implementation and continued stakeholder collaboration, this policy will usher in a new era of prosperity for Liberia’s rubber sector and improve the lives of thousands of farming families whose primary source of income is rubber production,” Mulbah Siaway said.
According to the group, the executive order is more than just a trade limitation for Liberia’s rubber farmers. It is a wager that the nation’s natural resources can create greater wealth, jobs, and investment domestically before being exported outside.
