Published: July 10, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In January, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai told the Liberian Legislature that China had completed the most detailed mineral resource survey of the country in more than 50 years. Yet, less than six months later, while addressing U.S. President Donald Trump at a high-profile White House luncheon on Wednesday, Boakai again requested a mineral survey—this time from the United States.
“Honorable Speaker and distinguished members of the 55th Legislature,” Boakai said in his 2025 Annual Message, “I am pleased to report that we have received a mineral resource survey report from the Government of the People’s Republic of China. This report provides new insights into Liberia’s mineral resource potential and represents the most comprehensive scientific investigation conducted in over five decades. We extend our gratitude to the People’s Republic of China for funding this important project.”
He added, “The Ministry of Mines and Energy has already analyzed the data from this survey, and the results indicate a significant shift away from the country’s previous sole focus on iron ore, diamonds, and gold. We have discovered lithium, neodymium, silver, nickel, zinc, uranium, chromium, lead, tin, cobalt, niobium (coltan), tantalum, manganese, copper, zirconium, and monazite, amongst others.”
However, during the July 9 luncheon, Boakai told Trump, “Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States,” President Boakai said. “We believe in your policy of making America great again, and we go a long way with you in your diplomacy that promotes economic development and commercial friendship.”
He praised the Trump administration’s renewed focus on Africa and urged U.S. support for a geological survey of Liberia’s mineral resources. “One of the things we ask, as good friends for a long time, is the opportunity to do a survey of our minerals,” he said. “We’d like to see that happen.”
Boakai’s seemingly conflicting remarks—first praising Beijing for completing a comprehensive survey, then appealing to Washington for one—have sparked renewed questions about the coherence of Liberia’s foreign policy and the government’s role in the growing strategic rivalry between China and the United States.
Liberia’s Minerals in Global Crosshairs
Liberia’s vast mineral resources have long been underexploited. But the country’s natural wealth is increasingly attracting international attention, particularly amid heightened competition between the United States and China for influence across Africa.
China has steadily deepened its footprint in West Africa under its Belt and Road Initiative, investing in infrastructure and extractive industries. In contrast, the U.S. under Trump’s “Trade Over Aid” policy has shifted focus to forging economic partnerships rooted in mutual commercial benefit.
According to the World Bank, Liberia’s economy grew by 4.8% in 2024, with the industrial sector expanding by 6%, driven largely by iron ore and gold mining. Rising exports of these commodities helped reduce the country’s trade and current account deficits. The Bank projects GDP growth could reach 6.2% by 2025, fueled primarily by increased mining output.
Despite the strong performance, the Bank warns against overreliance on extractives and emphasizes the need for economic diversification. It calls for investments in infrastructure, governance, and human capital to promote inclusive, sustainable development.
For now, however, mining remains central to Liberia’s growth strategy—and whoever controls the geological data effectively controls the direction of its extractive future.
Trump’s Hardline Immigration Pitch
While Boakai focused on economic cooperation, Trump used the luncheon to promote broader U.S. policy goals, including controversial immigration initiatives. In his remarks, the president proposed expanding “safe third country” agreements, which would designate countries like Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau as destinations for deported or returned migrants from the United States.
“Immigration will also be on the agenda,” Trump said. “Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal — all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.”
From Aid to Trade
Trump also emphasized his administration’s shift from development aid to commercial engagement. “We’re shifting from aid — or AID, as we sometimes call it — right to trade,” he said. “Trade seems to be a foundation I’ve been able to settle a lot of these disputes on.”
The White House event followed the U.S.-Africa Business Summit held in June, which reportedly generated $2.5 billion in new economic agreements for American firms. Trump highlighted his administration’s recent diplomatic victories, including a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and ongoing peace-building efforts in Sudan and Libya.
Trump urged African countries to increase defense spending and invest in U.S.-made equipment, which he described as “the best in the world.”
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