Monrovia — Liberian rubber exporters and smallholder farmers have rejected recent media narratives, accusing some outlets of bias that they say endangers the nation's fragile rubber economy. In a statement titled "Rebuttal: Media Bias, Foreign Interests, and the Real Threat to Liberia's Rubber Economy," local operators claimed that certain media organizations have become "hired mouthpieces" for foreign rubber giants seeking to undermine domestic players and consolidate control over the industry
The dispute arose following a media report headlined 'Liberia Economy Severe Threat,' which critics argued presented a one-sided portrayal of struggling Liberian-owned exporters and smallholder farmers.
Charles Bamakpeh, a rubber farmer in Nimba County, described the difficult conditions faced by local operators who contend with volatile global rubber prices, which hovered around US$1,500 per metric ton in late 2025, coupled with supply chain disruptions in Southeast Asia. Local farmers are also confronted with rising production costs, including fertilizers, labor, and plantation maintenance in Liberia's humid, rainforest-fringed environment
The statement insisted that any allegations of illegal practices should be addressed through thorough investigations and due process rather than sensational media campaigns that could dismantle Liberian enterprises in favor of entrenched foreign monopolies.
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Charles Bamakpeh highlighted what he called "selective outrage," observing that coverage tends to amplify unverified claims against local operators while downplaying the practices of multinational firms such as Firestone Liberia. Advocates described such media reporting as "economic sabotage" and urged government authorities to protect domestic producers and preserve Liberia's economic sovereignty. They also called for an independent inquiry into media practices influencing the rubber sector to ensure balanced reporting
Concerns about the economic consequences of a potential rubber export ban were also raised, with analysts warning that such restrictions could devastate smallholder farmers and hand the industry to foreign dominators. Liberia's rubber sector, a cornerstone of the national economy since the early 1900s, employs over 100,000 people, primarily smallholder farmers cultivating latex on 1-5 acre groves in counties like Margibi and Nimba. These farmers supply approximately 40-50 percent of the country's 120,000 metric tons of annual rubber exports, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
A ban on exports could flood local markets with excess stock, dramatically reducing farm-gate prices from US$0.80-US$1.00 per kilogram to near pennies and pushing many smallholders into poverty or forcing migration to urban centers.
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Historical precedence further heightens concerns, as similar restrictions in the 1970s and 1980s funneled supplies to Firestone's low-price buying stations, squeezing independent farmers and consolidating foreign dominance. Analysts have described the scenario not merely as regulation but as "economic recolonization," where foreign plantations equipped with mechanized operations and tax incentives dictate market terms, leaving local producers marginalized.
The statement also criticized media reliance on anonymous sources and alarmist framing that portrays Liberian firms as villains while presenting foreign companies as benefactors, stifling domestic growth in a sector where Liberians control only about 20 percent of exports compared to Firestone's near monopoly on processing. Advocates recommended balanced policy interventions, including transparent regulatory frameworks, the promotion of farmer cooperatives for bulk bargaining power, and incentives for local mills to process raw latex domestically rather than exporting it for refinement abroad.
The debate highlights a critical dilemma for policymakers: enforcing short-term regulations without accounting for the long-term implications could jeopardize national sovereignty in an industry that generates an estimated US$150-200 million annually, contributes to foreign exchange reserves, and supports rural livelihoods in a country with projected GDP growth of 3.5 percent in 2025.
The report added that the real threat to Liberia's rubber economy does not come from struggling exporters or smallholder farmers but from manipulated systems that favor foreign dominance.
