Market Overview
Liberia accepts imports of vehicles made by several different auto manufacturers. The country, which is still recovering from civil strife in its recent past, is not especially interested in new vehicles. In the capital of Monrovia, around 50 percent of vehicles are used as taxi cabs.
Data from Best Selling Cars Blog indicates that Nissan model vehicles are far and away the most popular and also populous types of vehicles in the country. Especially the Nissan Sunny (or the Sentra as it is known in the United States). The Nissan Frontier pickup truck and the Nissan Patrol sports-utility vehicle are also highly popular models in Liberia.
If you are interested in exporting salvage cars to Liberia, there are also several regulations and requirements that you need to consider first.
Pros
- Newly-minted Trade & Investment Framework Agreement with the United States.
- Also, Imported $16 million worth of new and used vehicles in 2013 alone.
Cons
- Persistent, but receding political instability from recent civil unrest.
- Only recently free of West Africa’s pandemic-level Ebola outbreak.
Departure Ports Serving Liberia
Departure Ports for roll-on roll-off shipping
- Bayonne, NJ to Monrovia, Liberia
- Baltimore, MD to Monrovia, Liberia
- Jacksonville, FL Monrovia, Liberia
- Port Everglades to Monrovia, Liberia
- Houston, TX to Monrovia, Liberia
Departure Ports for container shipping
- Linden, NJ to Monrovia, Liberia (Full and Less Than Container Load)
Arrival Ports
The Port of Monrovia is the main arrival port both for roll-on roll-off ships and container ships.
Documentation Requirements
- The original Certificate of Title and Registration
- The original Commercial/Purchase Invoice
- An Original Bill of Landing
- The owner’s driver’s license and also their International Insurance Policy (green card)
Other Requirements
- Importing used vehicles over 12 years of age is under prohibition in Liberia.
- Only left-hand drive vehicles are road legal within the country.
- Liberian law also requires pre-shipment inspections on used vehicles to ship to the country.
Import Duty Taxes
Transporting used cars through customs to Liberia will result in import duties. These rates will range from anywhere between 38 percent and 60 percent, though the actual rate you will be paying is a function of the type of vehicle you’re importing and the size of the engine it has – larger vehicles with larger engines are subject to higher import duties.
However, customs tariffs are subject to change at any time, so be aware that these figures may not be correct if the import duty taxes change suddenly.
If you’re in the United States and you want information on the current vehicle import duty scheme for the Republic of Liberia, you can contact the country’s embassy in Washington, DC at the following address:
5201 16th Street N. W.
Washington, DC 20011
Telephone: (202)723-0437
View Market Reports for Selected Countries, Our Car Auctions, Truck Auctions, and Info on Buying With Us. Read our Export Guide, and rates on International Shipping.
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