Business Owners, mostly Liberian-owned business owners and importers, protest the strangulation of goods at Freeport, high taxes, hardship, and marginalization of Liberian-owned businesses at the Capitol Building on Tuesday, November 3, 2026
The protesters, operating under the banner of China Business Women United with One Voice, alongside the Consortium of Liberia Importers, accused shipping companies and port operators of imposing financial burdens that threaten the survival of locally owned businesses.
Carrying placards and chanting demands for the release of their merchandise, the businesswomen said shipments from China and other Asian countries that previously took weeks to arrive in Liberia now take between six and seven months.
According to the protesters, the prolonged delays have resulted in the expiration of their Delivery Orders before goods arrive, forcing importers to pay additional renewal fees, demurrage, and other charges before they can clear their merchandise.
“We are paying for goods we cannot sell. We are paying for delays we did not cause. We are paying to stay poor,” one of the protesters told lawmakers.
The businesswomen blamed shipping delays and what they characterized as arbitrary charges on shipping companies, including Maersk, as well as port operators, particularly APM Terminals and Global Tracking and Maritime Solutions (GTMS).
They alleged that excessive charges, prolonged clearance procedures, and the continued holding of imported goods at the port have placed small and medium-sized Liberian businesses under severe financial pressure.
Beyond shipping delays, the protesters also raised concerns about high taxes and what they described as unequal treatment of Liberian-owned businesses compared to foreign-owned commercial enterprises.
In their petition to the National Legislature and the National Port Authority (NPA), the importers called for an independent investigation into port charges, an immediate reduction in fees and demurrage, government intervention to address alleged exploitation, and the speedy clearance and release of goods that have remained stranded at the port for months.
The petition was received by Montserrado County District #8 Representative Prince Toles, who assured the protesters that their concerns would be presented to the plenary of the House of Representatives for consideration.
In a development that could bring the port-related grievances before key government and private-sector institutions, the House of Representatives subsequently voted to summon major stakeholders in the port sector for a specialized hearing scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026.
Those expected to appear include the Freeport of Monrovia, the National Port Authority, the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, the Liberia Business Association, and other relevant stakeholders in the port sector.
The scheduled hearing is expected to provide lawmakers an opportunity to question port authorities and other industry players about the complaints raised by the importers, particularly shipping delays, port charges, demurrage, and the difficulties confronting Liberian-owned businesses.
For the protesting businesswomen, however, the central demand remains straightforward: the release of their goods and an end to the charges they say are steadily pushing their businesses toward collapse.
As the November 6 hearing approaches, attention will be focused on whether the intervention by the Legislature will produce concrete measures to address the grievances of local importers or whether their demands will become another unresolved complaint within Liberia’s commercial sector.
