LIBERIA · RAILWAYS AND MINING
Key Facts
- The country Liberia is a West African nation of about 5 million people, led by President Joseph Boakai.
- What happened On Wednesday 28 October 2026 the top US diplomat in Monrovia asked for a law creating independently regulated shared rail.
- The railway The Yekepa to Buchanan line runs about 245 km (152 miles) from iron ore mines to the coast.
- The US offer The US Trade and Development Agency is finalizing a grant to assess the line’s capacity.
- Still open No date for the law, and no value for the grant, has been given.
The United States urged Liberia on Wednesday 28 October 2026 to pass a law for independent Liberia rail regulation. Kristin Gilmore, the top US diplomat in Monrovia, made the call at a mining conference in Harbel, in Margibi County.
The Liberia rail line to the coast matters because it carries the country’s iron ore to the sea. A US government agency is also preparing a grant to measure how much that line can carry.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Gilmore is the chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy, meaning she leads the embassy in the absence of an ambassador. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is a federal agency that pays for studies meant to open projects abroad to American companies.
A multi-user railway is a line that several companies may use on fair terms, not only its main customer. Independent regulation means an official body, separate from any user, sets access rules and prices.
What the US Diplomat Said
Gilmore told the Liberia International Mining and Energy Conference in Harbel that shared rail is central to growth in the minerals and farming sectors. She said Washington looks forward to “timely passage of legislation establishing a transparent, independently regulated multi-user rail system.”
She added that USTDA is finalizing a grant to assess the capacity of Liberia’s rail infrastructure, in support of President Boakai’s vision of shared rail. She gave no timeline for the law and no value for the grant.
Gilmore also said several US private-sector delegations had visited Liberia in recent months. In her words, the commercial interest is real, and the question is whether Liberia can keep investors committed.
The Lines and Who Runs Them
The Yekepa to Buchanan railway belongs to the Government of Liberia and runs about 245 km (152 miles) to the Atlantic port of Buchanan. ArcelorMittal Liberia (AML), the local arm of the steelmaker, is the main user of Liberia rail and says it spent about US$800 million on it.
Ivanhoe Atlantic, a US-based company, won the right to move iron ore from the Kon Kweni mine in neighbouring Guinea over the same line. Liberia’s Legislature ratified that concession and access agreement on 18 December 2025.
Both deals put two competing miners on one track, which is why the referee matters. Our report on ArcelorMittal’s US$4 billion investment explains the company’s side of that bargain.
Why Liberia Rail Regulation Matters
An amendment to AML’s long-term mining contract, signed in December 2025, lets the government run a multi-user Liberia rail regime with non-discriminatory access. It also provides for a move to an independent, government-regulated rail authority by 2030.
President Boakai created the Liberia National Railway Authority by executive order in October 2024 and renewed that order in October 2025. The order lets the authority act only until the Legislature passes a law, which is the law Gilmore asked for.
A bill to make the authority permanent was before the House of Representatives in July 2026. Our earlier report on how the shared railway decides who can export describes why access, not ore, is the bottleneck.
What It Means for US Readers
It is not known when lawmakers will pass the Liberia rail authority law or what its access rules and tariffs will say. No final vote on the bill has been announced as of 2 November.
For US businesses, a USTDA study of the line’s capacity could point to work for American engineers and equipment makers. See our coverage of the Liberia mining conference and our guide to Liberia in West Africa.
What Is Not Known
It is not known when lawmakers will pass the Liberia rail authority law or what its access rules and tariffs will say. Our checks found no confirmation of a final vote on the bill.
The value and timing of the USTDA grant have not been stated. It is also not known how the line’s capacity will be shared between AML and Ivanhoe Atlantic.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the United States ask Liberia to do about its railway?
The top US diplomat in Monrovia asked for timely passage of a law creating a transparent, independently regulated shared railway. She spoke at a mining conference on 28 October 2026.
What is a multi-user railway?
It is a line that several companies can use on fair terms, not only one main customer. In Liberia it would let more than one miner ship ore to the port of Buchanan.
Which Liberian railway is meant?
The Yekepa to Buchanan line, about 245 km (152 miles) long, carries iron ore from Nimba County to the Atlantic coast. The government owns it and ArcelorMittal Liberia uses it most.
What is the US Trade and Development Agency doing?
It is finalizing a grant to assess the capacity of Liberia’s rail infrastructure. Its value and timing have not been given.
Who else will use the railway?
Ivanhoe Atlantic, a US-based company, won the right to move iron ore from the Kon Kweni mine in Guinea over the line. Liberia’s Legislature ratified that deal in December 2025.
Sources: US Embassy in Liberia: Chargé d’Affaires Kristin Gilmore, remarks at the Liberia International Mining and Energy Conference (LIMEC 2026), 28 October 2026; Executive Mansion of Liberia: Executive Order 153 renewing the Liberia National Railway Authority, 16 October 2025; US Trade and Development Agency, 2 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief