The leadership of the House of Representatives has called an emergency meeting with key stakeholders to address the growing crisis faced by Liberian importers over prolonged shipping delays. The decision was taken during the 7th Day Sitting of the 3rd Quarter of the 3rd Session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday Following deliberations in Plenary.
Lawmakers mandated the House’s Leadership headed by Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon to immediately meet with all parties named in the importers’ petition to find a lasting solution on Friday November 6, 2026.
The move comes after the China Business Women United with One Voice/Consortium of Liberia Importers issued an urgent appeal to the Legislature and the National Port Authority (NPA), demanding immediate intervention into what they described as catastrophic shipping delays and operational bottlenecks at the Freeport of Monrovia.
In a strongly worded petition addressed to the President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, the Speaker and Leadership of the House, and the NPA Management, the businesswomen lamented, “Our businesses are collapsing, our investments are trapped, and our families are suffering. Silence is no longer an option.”
According to the importers, shipments from China and Asia now take an unreasonable six to seven months to arrive in Monrovia, preventing them from turning over their capital even twice a year. The group said they secure high-interest bank loans using their personal homes and properties as collateral but are now facing financial ruin. “The arbitrary expiration of Delivery Orders (DOs) is killing us,” they noted.
Due to bottlenecks at the port and delays caused by major shipping lines, most especially Maersk Line, DOs expire before cargo can be retrieved. Business owners are then forced to pay costly renewal fees, demurrage and detention charges for delays completely beyond their control.
They also decried double financial pressure-while capital remains trapped at sea or stuck at the port, loan interests continue to accumulate, yet they are still expected to meet quarterly tax obligations to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), pay office rents, and settle employee salaries.
The importers further accused foreign traders of undermining the government’s Liberalization Policy by importing directly from Chinese factories and selling retail at undercut prices, driving Liberian-owned SMEs out of business. “We are not enemies of the state, we are the backbone of Liberia’s economy,” the petition reads.
In response to the outcry, Plenary instructed the House Leadership to convene an emergency roundtable with the National Port Authority, Maersk Line and other shipping lines, Ministry of Commerce, LRA, and the affected importers.
The meeting is expected to address the Consortium’s six-point demands, which include, an immediate legislative inquiry into Maersk Line and other shipping lines over excessive transit times and arbitrary fees; a mandate to waive re-issuance fees and demurrage charges on expired Delivery Orders when delays are caused by shipping lines or port congestion.
Other concerns include, enforcement of clear, binding and predictable delivery schedules; a directive to the NPA to streamline and expedite container clearance; strict enforcement of the Liberalization Policy to protect Liberian-owned SMEs; and establishment of long-term maritime and supply chain reforms.
The business community says their properties, children’s futures, employees’ jobs, and the stability of the Liberian economy are on the line. “We want our goods delivered on time. We demand fairness and accountability,” they stated. The date for the emergency stakeholders meeting is expected to be announced by the House Leadership shortly.
