VZCZCXRO3981
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0051/01 0161611
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161611Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9659
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEATRA/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MONROVIA 000051 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EEB/IFD/OIA AND AF/W 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USTR FOR CONNIE HAMILTON 
PLEASE PASS OPIC FOR JOHN SIMON 
TREASURY FOR OREN WYCHE-SHAW, RICHARD HALL, AND JOHN RALYEA 
COMMERCE FOR STEVEN GARDNER AND SALIHA LOUCIF 
ACCRA FOR KEVIN MCCOWAN 
DAKAR FOR USDA AND FAA 
 
REF A) 07 MONROVIA 1260 
REF B) 07 MONROVIA 1201 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD EAID EAGR ECON EAIR OPIC USTR PGOV LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA'S COMMERCE MINISTER AND TIFA/AGOA UPDATE 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: The Minister of Commerce is committed to progress 
under TIFA and is already planning for the AGOA workshop and an AGOA 
Resource Center.  Plans are underway for a standards lab in Monrovia 
that will permit sanitary and phyto-sanitary tests.  The Minister 
supports establishment of commercial courts.  However, Liberia still 
faces many challenges before exports are likely to reach 
international standards.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) The Ambassador and Econoff met January 11 with Frances 
Johnson Morris, Minister of Commerce, to review the status of items 
on the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) work plan and 
other trade issues. Following is a summary of some of the work plan 
topics (with numbers referencing the "U.S.-Liberia TIFA Council 
Meetings Action Items for Follow-Up" list). 
 
Interagency AGOA Workshop (items 5 and 14) 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Ambassador conveyed USTR's proposal of a February 7-8 
event, and asked whether the GOL would be able to support and 
organize a workshop during that period.  The Minister said planning 
for an event the first week of February was well underway but she 
would confirm the dates with the stakeholders.  She provided a draft 
agenda, proposed participant list, and status report for the 
workshop.  We will encourage to GOL to include members of the 
legislature in the workshop (per item 14 of the work plan). (Note: 
The Minister's office confirmed the February 7-8 dates on January 
¶14.  However, we will be consulting with the Ministry on possible 
March dates in light of recent information from Washington.  End 
note) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) For the AGOA workshop, the GOL is planning an exhibition 
of Liberian products, including arts and crafts that might be 
suitable for export under AGOA.  Chili peppers that are being grown, 
on the advice of the West African Trade Hub, have already found a 
buyer in Europe. 
 
March Trade Mission to Ghana (Item 3) 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The Accra Trade Hub reports it has worked with USDA and 
the Accra-based contractors (selected to assist in the USDA March 
Trade and Investment Mission (TIM)), for matchmaking opportunities 
between regional firms and U.S. companies and investors.  The Trade 
Hub made specific matchmaking suggestions to USDA and Brooks 
Associates; however, no Liberian companies were found to be suitable 
matches for the U.S. companies on the TIM. 
 
¶6.  (U) Embassy Monrovia is still consulting with trade 
professionals and agricultural experts in Liberia and will forward a 
few more candidates this week.  However, most of the possible 
candidates would be importers (and not eligible for USG sponsorship) 
rather than exporters. 
 
AGOA Resource Center (Item 10) 
-------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Minister told us they had received communication on 
the proposal for an AGOA Resource Center and understood the host 
should be a private, rather than a government, entity.  They are 
suggesting the Liberian Chamber of Commerce.  The Accra Trade Hub 
reported January 16 that it had scheduled a one-day AGOA Workshop in 
Liberia to coincide with the opening of the new AGOA Resource Center 
(ARC) in Monrovia for April, but is now working to move that to 
March to possibly coincide with the interagency AGOA workshop. 
Embassy Monrovia requests closer coordination with the WATH/A office 
as neither State nor USAID officers in Monrovia had received any 
information on this initiative. 
 
Commercial Court system (Item 11) 
------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Ambassador asked about interest in establishing a 
commercial court system for Liberia.  The minister, who is a lawyer 
and was previously the Minister of Justice, said the proposal had 
been around since the 1990s.  She had been a debt court judge and 
was well aware of the ineffectiveness of the current system and its 
impact on banks and other companies.  She said that in addition to 
working with Commerce, the proposal should be pursued with the 
 
MONROVIA 00000051  002 OF 002 
 
 
Supreme Court and the Bar Association.  (Note:  Post welcomes the 
ongoing contact with the Department Of Commerce's Commercial Law 
Development Program and looks forward to working with them to move 
this very important initiative forward. Another promising initiative 
includes assistance in streamlining the public procurement process. 
End note.) 
 
Standards Lab (Item 2) 
------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The USG is funding rehabilitation of the Ministry of 
Public Works, which will include space for a standards lab.  UNIDO 
has committed $250,000 to equipping the lab (and has hired away the 
Minister's very efficient personal assistant).  The GOL already has 
people undergoing training in Ghana.  The lab will allow the GOL to 
build cases against purveyors of dangerous or counterfeit products 
(particularly pharmaceuticals) and will be an essential step in 
attaining the sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards necessary for 
export of agricultural products and seafood. 
 
Boston Seafood Show (Item 6) 
------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) On that note, the Minister confirmed that there are no 
Liberian firms that are at a level where participation at the Boston 
Seafood Show next month would be feasible.  Having consulted widely 
with business and government contacts, we support her opinion.