Rep. Anthony Williams  warns Boakai’s rubber ban threatens farmers’ livelihoods

MONROVIA – Maryland County lawmaker has urged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to reconsider his ban on raw rubber exports, warning that the measure is crippling smallholder farmers and threatening rural livelihoods across Liberia.

In a letter dated August 15, Representative Anthony F. Williams of Pleebo Sodoken District said Executive Order No. 151, which bars the export of unprocessed rubber, has left thousands of farming families without income as major buyers refuse to purchase cup lump and other raw products.

“Reports from across the country indicate that major agricultural companies are now refusing to purchase rubber from smallholder producers, citing the absence of export options and market constraints,” Williams wrote. “This has left many farming households without income to sustain their families.”

Williams, who chairs the House Committee on Banking and Currency & Insurance, warned that the ban, issued on August 1, could have “severe economic and social tolls” if enforced without safeguards. He called on Boakai to either rescind the order or compel large concessions to buy raw rubber from smallholders at fair prices.

“Mr. President, our smallholder farmers are the backbone of Liberia’s agricultural economy,” he stressed. “Policies affecting them must balance national development goals with the urgent need to protect their livelihoods.”

Boakai’s Push for Value Addition

President Boakai announced the ban earlier this month, arguing that Liberia must stop “giving away its wealth” and instead build a domestic rubber industry. Executive Order No. 151 prohibits the export of raw rubber, including cup lump, natural latex, bark scrap, and ground scrap, while allowing processed products such as Technically Specified Rubber (TSR).

The order also introduced fiscal measures, including a 4% presumptive tax on all rubber exports, mandatory contributions to the Rubber Development Fund, and a surcharge of US$150 per metric ton. Exporters must now obtain special permits backed by tax clearances and payment receipts.

“This Executive Order is a turning point,” Boakai said at the signing ceremony. “We are laying the groundwork for industrialization, value addition, and long-term economic transformation.”

Call for Action on Concession Agreements

In a separate communication also sent to the president on August 15, Williams raised alarms over labor practices at the Maryland Oil Palm Plantation (MOPP) and Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC). He noted that the National Bureau of Concessions conducted an assessment in June, but the findings have yet to be released.

Given the allegations, Williams requested an urgent audience with Boakai, saying unchecked malpractices could “undermine the progress and goodwill your administration has been working tirelessly to foster.”

A Century-Old Industry at a Crossroads

Rubber has been the backbone of Liberia’s economy for more than 100 years, yet the sector has remained largely extractive, exporting raw materials while importing finished goods. Boakai’s government says the export ban is a strategic pivot toward industrialization, but critics like Williams warn it risks worsening poverty unless safety nets are built for rural farmers.

The Ministry of Agriculture, along with Finance, Commerce, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and the Rubber Development Fund, is expected to release implementation guidelines in the coming days.