BRUSSELS — In what signals growing international confidence in Liberia's trade future, Global Logistics Services Inc. (GLS Group) and APM Terminals Liberia on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, unveiled a strategic partnership to develop the country's first dedicated Export Processing Center (EPC), a facility designed to modernize export operations and strengthen Liberia's commercial ties with the European Union.
The announcement, made at the EU-Liberia Business Forum in Brussels, positions the initiative as both a commercial milestone and a diplomatic signal: Liberia is no longer content with being a raw-material outpost but is preparing the institutional and logistical backbone required for competitive global trade.
The partnership brings together GLS Group -- an indigenous logistics and supply chain management firm -- and APM Terminals Liberia, the concessionaire of the Freeport of Monrovia and part of one of the world's most extensive port networks. By combining local logistics expertise with global port management standards, the two companies aim to tackle long-standing structural bottlenecks that have historically constrained Liberian exporters.
For years, exporters have grappled with fragmented documentation processes, costly shipment inefficiencies, rejected cargo due to compliance gaps, and limited consolidation options for small-scale producers. The new Export Processing Center is intended to centralize these processes under one operational hub.
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According to the partners, the facility will serve as an integrated consolidation center, enabling Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to combine smaller shipments into full container loads -- a move expected to significantly lower entry barriers to international markets. It will also feature on-site quality and compliance testing to ensure that "Made in Liberia" goods meet stringent European phytosanitary and quality standards before departure.
In a bid to streamline administrative procedures, the EPC will incorporate a standardized, digitized "OK TO LOAD" workflow integrated with the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), reducing documentation delays and improving cargo clearance timelines. Real-time cargo tracking will provide 24/7 visibility for exporters and European buyers alike, aligning Liberia's export ecosystem with modern supply chain expectations.
Peter Malcolm King, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLS Group, described the partnership as a deliberate effort to close Liberia's infrastructure gap and reposition its exporters on the global stage.
"This partnership is a testament to our commitment to bridging the infrastructure gap in Liberia," King said. "By joining forces with a global leader like APM Terminals, we are providing Liberian exporters with the visibility, speed, and cost-effectiveness they need to compete internationally."
Rachid Baho, Managing Director of APM Terminals Liberia, emphasized the broader trade implications of the initiative.
"At APM Terminals, we aim to enable resilient trade and support the communities we serve," Baho said. "This Export Processing Facility will modernize the Freeport of Monrovia's capabilities, reinforcing Liberia's position as a rising trade hub in West Africa and strengthening our vital commercial ties with Europe."
The European Union remains Liberia's principal trading partner, and the initiative aligns closely with the EU's "Everything But Arms" (EBA) framework, which grants duty-free and quota-free access for eligible exports from least-developed countries. By strengthening compliance and export readiness, the EPC is expected to improve Liberia's utilization of these trade preferences.
The presence of Liberia's Ambassador to the Benelux countries and the European Union, alongside senior representatives of the EU Delegation to Liberia, underscored the multilateral weight of the agreement. Observers at the forum described the partnership as emblematic of a new phase in EU-Liberia commercial cooperation -- one driven not solely by aid frameworks, but by private-sector-led investment and trade facilitation.
Beyond diplomacy, the economic implications are tangible. The facility is expected to reduce truck turnaround times at the Freeport of Monrovia, improve vessel scheduling efficiency, and generate high-value employment opportunities across logistics, compliance testing, warehousing, and technical services.
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Over the long term, the partners project that the Export Processing Center could help shift Liberia's export profile from primarily raw commodity shipments toward higher-value processed goods -- a transition considered essential to achieving national economic diversification goals under the government's ARREST Agenda, particularly in Agriculture, Roads, and Trade.
If successfully implemented, the GLS-APM alliance may mark more than the launch of a new facility. It could represent a structural pivot in how Liberia engages the global marketplace -- from fragmented export pathways to an integrated, technology-driven trade platform anchored at its principal maritime gateway.
For a country long constrained by infrastructure gaps, Tuesday's announcement in Brussels suggests that confidence in Liberia's trade architecture is not only returning -- it is being actively built.
