Liberia has a poor, underdeveloped economy due largely to civil war from 1989-1996. Agriculture, specifically crops like rubber and palm oil, and raw materials like iron ore and diamonds, form the backbone of Liberia's economy. In recent years, the mining and machinery sectors have grown due to foreign investment. However, the majority of Liberians still rely on subsistence agriculture. Future economic prospects depend on continued foreign investment and growth in trade, as well as implementing sound economic policies and rebuilding infrastructure.

1. TRADE
Liberia
DANIEL ETA

2. MAIN TRADE
TRADE
MACIHNERY
CROPS
MINERALS
Liberia is one of the poorest
countries in the world, and its
economy is extremely
underdeveloped, largely due
to the First Liberian Civil
War in 1989-96. The civil war
destroyed much of Liberia's
economy, especially the
infrastructure in and
around Monrovia. The war
also caused a brain drain and
the loss of capital, as the civil
war involved overthrowing
the Americo-Liberian
minority that ruled the
country.
Richly endowed
with water, mineral resources,
forests, and a climate
favorable to agriculture, but
poor in human capital,
infrastructure, and stability,
Liberia has a fairly typical
profile for Sub-Saharan
African economies
The democratically elected
government, installed in August
1997, inherited massive
international debts and
currently relies on revenues
from its maritime registry to
provide the bulk of its foreign
exchange earnings. The
restoration of the infrastructure
and the raising of incomes in
this ravaged economy depend on
the implementation of sound
macro- and micro-economic
policies of the new government,
including the encouragement of
foreign investment. Local
manufacturing, such as it exists,
is mainly foreign-owned. – the
majority of the population is
reliant on subsistence
agriculture, while exports are
dominated by raw commodities
such as rubber and iron ore.
THESE THREE EXPORTS SHOW THE CENTRAL
TRADE IDEA

3. THE ECONOMY
Liberia is the 153rd largest export economy in the world.
In 2015, Liberia exported $836M and imported $5.85B,
resulting in a negative trade balance of $5.02B. In 2015
the GDP of Liberia was $2.05B and its GDP per capita
was $835.
The top exports of Liberia are Passenger and Cargo
Ships ($376M), Iron
Ore ($199M), Rubber ($101M), Rough Wood ($39M)
and Cocoa Beans ($37.9M), using the 1992 revision of the
HS (Harmonized System) classification. Its top imports
are Passenger and Cargo Ships ($4.03B), Refined
Petroleum ($481M), Rice($97.2M), Boat
Propellers ($89.1M) and Iron Structures($64.1M).
The top export destinations of Liberia
are Poland($279M), China ($152M), India ($76.5M), the
United States ($44.6M) and Greece ($39.2M). The top
import origins are China ($1.36B), South
Korea ($1.32B), Japan ($861M), the Philippines ($564M)
and Germany($335M).
Liberia borders Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Exports
In 2015 Liberia exported
$836M, making it the 153rd
largest exporter in the world.
During the last five years the
exports of Liberia have
decreased at an annualized
rate of -0.1%, from $817M in
2010 to $836M in 2015. The
most recent exports are led
by Passenger and Cargo
Ships which represent 45% of
the total exports of Liberia,
followed by Iron Ore, which
account for 23.9%.
Imports
In 2015 Liberia imported
$5.85B, making it the
121st largest importer in
the world. During the
last five years the
imports of Liberia have
decreased at an
annualized rate of -
15.4%, from $9.8B in
2010 to $5.85B in 2015.
The most recent imports
are led by Passenger
and Cargo Ships which
represent 68.8% of the
total imports of Liberia,
followed by Refined
Petroleum, which
account for 8.23%.

4. RED LINE IS IMPORTS
BLUE LINE IS EXPORTS

5. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS
4.3
2.5
3.5
4.5
7
8
10
7
1
2
3
7
2004 2008 2012 2016
NUMBEROFTRANSACTIONS(MILLIONS)
YEARS
OVERALL TRANSACTIONS
Minerals Crops Macinery
FUNNY FACTS
In the fall of 2012,
America earned in
revenue what Liberia
had been accumulating
for 5- years

6. TRADE RELATIONSHIPS
Machinery
Minerals
Crops
Alluvial diamond and gold mining activities also account for some economic activity. In recent years (2005 - 2012), foreign
investment from ArcelorMittal Steel, BHP Biliton, and China Union is aiding the revitalization of the iron-ore mining sector.
Timber and rubber are Liberia's main export items since the end of the war. Liberia earns more than $100 million and more
than $70 million annually from timber and rubber exports, respectively. Formal electricity services are solely provided by the
state-owned Liberia Electricity Corporation, which operates a small grid almost exclusively in the Greater Monrovia District.
The vast majority of electric energy services is provided by small privately owned generators. At $0.54 per kWh, the electricity
tariff in Liberia is among the highest in the world. Total installed capacity in 2013 was 20 MW, a sharp decline from a peak of
191 MW in 1989.

7. THE TRANSACTION TIMELINE
•Sudden
Gold
Rush
2000
•Gold and
timber as
main export
2004
•Decline in
gold industry
2008
•Re-
introduction
of Crop
export
2012 •Diamonds,
machinery
and industrial
growth
2016
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN(2018)
Although no official statistics have been released, there are some predictions and proposals which say there is only worse
coming for the economy. Oil exploitation and more embezzlements by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Government. Although there
are rumours that CAT would be largely involved Liberia to increase infrastructure. There is still some equivocal controversy as
the elections are being held on the 7th of November, so the possibilities are left to our imagination.

8. CROPS
THE HEART OF TRADE

9. MAIN CROPS IN LIBERIA
• Liberia is an agrarian economy so before the civil war,
agriculture was the main source of livelihood for the great
majority of Liberians. Except on plantations operated by
foreign concessionaires and wealthy Liberians, farming
techniques are primitive. The "bush rotation" system of
shifting cultivation is followed, in which the farmer clears
up to two ha (5 acres) of wild forest or low bush each year,
lightly cultivates it with crude hand tools, and plants rice
or cassava as the rainy season begins.
11%
21%
34%
19%
15%
Main Crops
Rubber
Rice
Cassava
Banana
Palm Oil
Cassava
Banana
Rice Rubber
Palm
Oil

10. LIBERIA & CROPS
Agriculture in Liberia was previously
dominated by export crops which included
rubber, oil palm, coffee, cocoa and citrus.
Although these export crops still account for a
substantial portion of Liberia's foreign
exchange earnings, an increase in food crop
production is now very evident. Food crops
grown include rice (both upland and swamp),
cassava and other root crops, banana, pulses
and vegetables. The most prevalent methods
of cropping are "slash and burn" and shifting
cultivation. At present, food crops are
produced mainly by subsistence farmers.
As mentioned earlier it is largely Agrarian
and gets lots of revenue from there.
“
Although the Industrial
sector does seem to be
stepping up
”
BUSH MEAT IS ALSO VERY POPULAR IN
LIBERIA

11. CROPS
IN LIBERIA FARINA IS
GARRI(EBA) IN NIGERIA

12. INDUSTRY & MINERALS
DRIVING FORCE OF THE ECONOMY

13. LIBERIAN MINING INDUSTRY
The mining industry of Liberia has witnessed a revival after the civil war which ended in 2003. Gold, diamonds,
and iron ore form the core minerals of the mining sector with a new Mineral Development Policy and Mining
Code being put in place to attract foreign investments. In 2013, the mineral sector accounted for 11% of GDP in
the country and the World Bank has projected a further increase in the sector by 2017.
Mining sector is considered the prime mover for the economic growth of the country and its exploitation has to be
appropriately balanced with sustainable environmental preservation of its rich biodiversity. Apart from iron ore
extractions, cement, diamond, gold, and petroleum resources have also been given due importance to enrich the
economy of the country.

14. LIBERIA & GOLD
ISN’T THAT SMART?

15. WOW! LOTS
OF GOLD
ECONOMIC
BOOM
PRODUCTION
&
EXPORTS
LIVELIHOOD!
LET’S BUY
MORE
OH NO.
REVENUE IS
GONE
WHAT DID THEY DO?
In 2010 the Liberian Government as
well as the Liberian Trade centre
proposed various trade barriers to
reduce the large imports in the country.
The United Peoples Party had some
socialist leanings so it monitored what
was consumed by the huge populace. As
little as the improvements were they
were eventually neglected under
Samuel Doe’s Government. This took
them back to square one. They are
currently one of the most under-
developed countries and are edging
closer to being a third world country.
If you wish to support this country visit
https://www.irishaid.ie/what-we-do/countries-where-we-
work/othercountries/liberia/

16. Date Quantity (Ounces) Quantity (Kg) Variation n-1
1/1/2014 17,200.65 535.00 -10.83%
1/1/2013 19,290.45 600.00 -6.40%
1/1/2012 20,608.63 641.00 42.76%
1/1/2011 14,435.69 449.00 -32.58%
1/1/2010 21,412.40 666.00 27.10%
1/1/2009 16,846.99 524.00 -7.91%
1/1/2008 18,293.77 569.00 100.35%
1/1/2007 9,130.81 284.00 3055.56%
1/1/2006 289.36 9.00 -55.00%
1/1/2005 643.01 20.00 -81.82%
1/1/2004 3,536.58 110.00 450.00%
1/1/2003 643.01 20.00 -97.50%
1/1/2002 25,720.60 800.00 -20.00%
1/1/2001 32,150.75 1,000.00 0.00%
1/1/1999 32,150.75 1,000.00 25.00%
1/1/1998 25,720.60 800.00 60.00%
1/1/1997 16,075.37 500.00 -28.57%
1/1/1996 22,505.52 700.00 -12.50%

18. LIBERIA & DIAMONDS
There has been further boost to this
diamond exploration programme has been the
identification of several additional en echelon
dykes, which, on the basis of preliminary
small-scale sampling, are microdiamond-
bearing.
“It is encouraging because the probability of
finding much larger stones, typical of Type II
diamond localities, such as those at Lucara,
in Botswana, and Letšeng in Lesotho, is
extremely high,” he says.
YDMC reports that its
diamond exploration programme will continue
in earnest in the last quarter of 2017.
The bulk sampling programme has started and
will be supplemented with heavy equipment as
the monsoonal rains come to an end.
The programme will focus on the 500 m x 50 m
kimberlite pipe located previously, the array of
kimberlite dykes and the terrace gravels along
the margins of the discovery valley.
Just one of the huge plans for diamond
exploration
IS THERE NEW HOPE???

19. LIBERIANS HARD AT WORK FOR DIAMONDS!!!

20. MACHINERY
ECONOMIC BOOM

21. RISE IN MACHINERY
Over the past two years there has been a dramatic rise in machinery use in various uses of production.
Originally they are capital goods which are goods that are created for creation of other goods. There has been
huge involvement in Liberian machinery by Caterpillar(CAT). This has also brought huge rises incomes and is
gradually improving GDP, in turn stabilizing the economy. The Introduction of Machinery has drastically
brought various benefits to the country and this rise is well supported by the government especially as as sales
are flying above the roof.

22. Series 1
2004
2008
2012
2016
100
200
200
700
MACHINERY RISE

23. TRADE RATIO
Crops
45%
Minerals
34%
Machinery
21%
TRADE
• DID YOU KNOW
• Liberia Trade:
Exports. ... The
country ranks 144 in
the world in terms of
total export volumes.
Due to an
underdeveloped
industrial
sector, Liberia exports
highly depend on
agricultural
productivity

24. C’EST FINI
…OH AND C’EST FIN(ELBOW)