Liberia has notified the WTO that its Parliament has ratified its Protocol of Accession, clearing the final hurdle for its WTO membership. According to WTO rules, Liberia will become a WTO member on 14 July, 30 days after its instrument of acceptance was deposited at the WTO.
The 30-day countdown to Liberia’s WTO membership was activated when Mr Axel Addy, Liberia’s Minister for Commerce and Industry, deposited the instrument of acceptance of the country’s Protocol of Accession with Mr Timothy Yeend, Chief of Cabinet, who received it on behalf of Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. The country’s Protocol of Accession was ratified by Liberia’s Parliament on 14 June.
Liberia applied for WTO membership in 2007 and members of the Working Party concluded the negotiations on 6 October 2015. Liberia’s commitments are available here.
WTO members officially approved Liberia’s accession during a special ceremony at the Nairobi Ministerial Conference on 16 December 2015. Liberia’s President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, co-signed the Protocol of Accession with DG Azevêdo.
Liberia is the 35th government and the eighth least-developed country (LDC) to accede to the WTO through negotiations since the WTO was established in 1995. LDCs represent a fifth of the WTO membership.