Summary
- Exports
- $2.6billion
- Imports
- $23billion
- Trade balance
- -$20.4billion
Products
What it exports
Gold (40.1%) and cargo and cruise ships (17.7%) together make up 57.8% of its exports.
What it imports
Cargo and cruise ships (72.9%) and refined petroleum (13.3%) together make up 86.2% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (95)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $1.1 billion | $2 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $489 million | $16.8 billion |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $303 million | $35 thousand |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $223 million | $3 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $194 million | $3.1 billion |
| 40 · Rubber | $182 million | $41 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $84 million | $45 million |
| 44 · Wood | $10 million | $8 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $7 million | $19 million |
| 74 · Copper | $5 million | $1 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $4 million | $9 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $3 million | $1.1 billion |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $2 million | $15 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $1 million | $32 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $1 million | $3 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $944 thousand | $100 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $457 thousand | $463 thousand |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $407 thousand | $45 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $395 thousand | $221 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $368 thousand | $366 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $313 thousand | $124 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $301 thousand | $15 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $253 thousand | $36 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $172 thousand | $83 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $159 thousand | $845 |
| 69 · Ceramics | $151 thousand | $19 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $148 thousand | $40 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $133 thousand | $23 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $130 thousand | $11 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $105 thousand | $14 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $103 thousand | $66 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $98 thousand | $348 thousand |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $82 thousand | $26 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $81 thousand | $6 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $77 thousand | $1 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $71 thousand | $10 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $69 thousand | $3 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $67 thousand | $38 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $54 thousand | $5 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $52 thousand | $25 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $49 thousand | $27 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $37 thousand | $32 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $33 thousand | $10 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $27 thousand | $7 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $22 thousand | $12 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $21 thousand | $39 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $18 thousand | $28 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $18 thousand | $5 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $18 thousand | $410 thousand |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $16 thousand | $70 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $13 thousand | $14 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $11 thousand | $8 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $9 thousand | $161 thousand |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $7 thousand | $481 thousand |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $6 thousand | $22 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $5 thousand | $29 million |
| 70 · Glass | $4 thousand | $4 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $3 thousand | $11 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $1 thousand | $1 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $1 thousand | $160 thousand |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $896 | $4 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $660 | $16 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $430 | $12 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $402 | $216 thousand |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $218 | $544 thousand |
| 10 · Cereals | $200 | $159 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $195 | $535 thousand |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $115 | $8 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $102 | $400 thousand |
| 65 · Hats | $98 | $1 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $92 | $270 thousand |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $60 | $2 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $58 | $14 thousand |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $25 | $100 thousand |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $15 | $4 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $6 | $1 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $0 | $7 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $0 | $4 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $0 | $2 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $0 | $2 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $0 | $2 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $0 | $677 thousand |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $0 | $335 thousand |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $0 | $146 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $102 thousand |
| 81 · Other base metals | $0 | $102 thousand |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $0 | $68 thousand |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $0 | $58 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $0 | $48 thousand |
| 75 · Nickel | $0 | $28 thousand |
| 14 · Other plant products | $0 | $7 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $0 | $5 thousand |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $0 | $2 thousand |
| 78 · Lead | $0 | $1 thousand |
| 51 · Wool | $0 | $97 |
Trading partners
Its main destination is Switzerland (34.8% of exports) and its main source is China (56.9% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 894 | 34.8% | Air |
| Germany | 245 | 9.5% | Sea |
| Lebanon | 137 | 5.3% | Air |
| Malaysia | 136 | 5.3% | Sea |
| China | 106 | 4.1% | Sea |
| Denmark | 98.9 | 3.9% | Air |
| France | 81.3 | 3.2% | Sea |
| United Kingdom | 78.3 | 3% | Sea |
| United States | 72.5 | 2.8% | Sea |
| Norway | 70 | 2.7% | Air |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 13.1 | 56.9% | Sea |
| South Korea | 5.2 | 22.7% | Sea |
| Japan | 1.7 | 7.3% | Air |
| Brazil | 0.46 | 2% | Sea |
| Germany | 0.44 | 1.9% | Sea |
| India | 0.31 | 1.3% | Sea |
| Turkey | 0.3 | 1.3% | Sea |
| Greece | 0.24 | 1% | Sea |
| United States | 0.21 | 0.92% | Sea |
| South Africa | 0.18 | 0.76% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Liberia accounted for 0.01% of world exports, compared with 0.02% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 2.7-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 2.6
- Imports 23
- Balance -20.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $945 million | $4.9 billion | -$4 billion |
| 1996 | $1.1 billion | $3.2 billion | -$2 billion |
| 1997 | $1.2 billion | $3.2 billion | -$2.1 billion |
| 1998 | $1.3 billion | $5.5 billion | -$4.2 billion |
| 1999 | $658 million | $3.2 billion | -$2.5 billion |
| 2000 | $771 million | $4.7 billion | -$3.9 billion |
| 2001 | $1.1 billion | $3.8 billion | -$2.7 billion |
| 2002 | $808 million | $3.8 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2003 | $964 million | $3.4 billion | -$2.5 billion |
| 2004 | $1.1 billion | $3.9 billion | -$2.8 billion |
| 2005 | $1.5 billion | $4.5 billion | -$3 billion |
| 2006 | $1.7 billion | $5.9 billion | -$4.1 billion |
| 2007 | $1.1 billion | $6.4 billion | -$5.3 billion |
| 2008 | $1.2 billion | $9.2 billion | -$8 billion |
| 2009 | $1.4 billion | $10.1 billion | -$8.7 billion |
| 2010 | $981 million | $13.6 billion | -$12.7 billion |
| 2011 | $976 million | $18.4 billion | -$17.5 billion |
| 2012 | $1.4 billion | $12.2 billion | -$10.8 billion |
| 2013 | $1.4 billion | $9.8 billion | -$8.4 billion |
| 2014 | $1.5 billion | $8 billion | -$6.4 billion |
| 2015 | $1.8 billion | $6.1 billion | -$4.4 billion |
| 2016 | $1.1 billion | $8 billion | -$6.9 billion |
| 2017 | $1.4 billion | $4.6 billion | -$3.2 billion |
| 2018 | $1.6 billion | $6 billion | -$4.4 billion |
| 2019 | $1.5 billion | $8.5 billion | -$7 billion |
| 2020 | $1.1 billion | $7.8 billion | -$6.7 billion |
| 2021 | $1.9 billion | $10.9 billion | -$9 billion |
| 2022 | $2.2 billion | $14.3 billion | -$12 billion |
| 2023 | $2.5 billion | $16.9 billion | -$14.4 billion |
| 2024 | $2.6 billion | $23 billion | -$20.4 billion |
World rank
Liberia fell from 111th to 136th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 111th in 1995
- 136th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 111th |
| 1996 | 112th |
| 1997 | 115th |
| 1998 | 110th |
| 1999 | 133rd |
| 2000 | 135th |
| 2001 | 125th |
| 2002 | 135th |
| 2003 | 136th |
| 2004 | 136th |
| 2005 | 132nd |
| 2006 | 133rd |
| 2007 | 150th |
| 2008 | 150th |
| 2009 | 143rd |
| 2010 | 156th |
| 2011 | 161st |
| 2012 | 151st |
| 2013 | 152nd |
| 2014 | 149th |
| 2015 | 141st |
| 2016 | 154th |
| 2017 | 149th |
| 2018 | 146th |
| 2019 | 147th |
| 2020 | 153rd |
| 2021 | 149th |
| 2022 | 145th |
| 2023 | 141st |
| 2024 | 136th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still gems and precious metals: 41% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 1%
- Wood 0%
- Fats and oils 3%
- Rubber 7%
- Oil, gas and coal 8%
- Cocoa and chocolate 9%
- Ores and slag 12%
- Ships and boats 19%
- Gems and precious metals 41%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Gems and precious metals | 81.5% | 41.1% |
| Ships and boats | 13.2% | 19% |
| Ores and slag | 0.26% | 11.8% |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 0% | 8.7% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 2.1% | 7.6% |
| Rubber | 1.6% | 7.1% |
| Fats and oils | 0% | 3.3% |
| Wood | 0.3% | 0.38% |
| Other | 1% | 1.1% |
Who it trades with
China went from 0.6% to 52% of Liberia's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 52%
- South Korea 21%
- Japan 7%
- Switzerland 4%
- Germany 3%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 0.61% | 51.6% |
| South Korea | 17.1% | 20.6% |
| Japan | 30.9% | 6.5% |
| Switzerland | 0.14% | 3.6% |
| Germany | 7.6% | 2.7% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeLargest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.