Lower House has Approved the Concession and Access Agreement for Ivanhoe Liberia Limited

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA: Despite growing public interest in how the deal reshapes Liberia’s rail governance and long-term control of key infrastructure, the House of Representatives of Liberia’s bicameral Legislature has ratified the Concession and Access Agreement (CAA) between the Government of Liberia, Société des Mines de Fer de Guinée (SMFG), and Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd.

The agreement was endorsed during the 17th Day Sitting of the 3rd Quarter of the 2nd Session on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

The passage follows submission of an extensive report from the Joint Committee on Investment & Concessions, Judiciary, Ways & Means, and Good Governance.

The Committee had been mandated to review all provisions of the July 5, 2025, CAA and conduct hearings with the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee (IMCC).

According to the Committee’s report, the Government of Liberia initially granted SMFG and Ivanhoe a conditional Right of Access in August 2021, allowing export of Guinean iron ore through Liberia’s rail corridor and the Port of Buchanan.

Following negotiations, the IMCC and SMFG/Ivanhoe finalized the CAA, which was attested to by the Ministry of Justice and approved by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai before being submitted for legislative action.

Under the agreement, SMFG and Ivanhoe Liberia receive a 25-year right-of-way to transport iron ore from Guinea using Liberia’s railway and port infrastructure. The concessionaires (SMFG and Ivanhoe Liberia) are obligated to upgrade the rail system and modernize the Buchanan port to meet multi-user, safety, and capacity standards.

The agreement presents Liberia as a transit hub for industrial goods destined for Guinea and outlines several financial obligations, which include the government revenue of 1.5% customs user fee on CIF-based imports, US$500,000 annual customs transit fee, Direct Payments by Concessionaires, and $1M within 10 business days of signing.

The agreement also presents Liberia with US$10M after the Effective Date, US$15M at the Commencement Date, US$2.33M upon enactment of the National Rail Authority Act, US$3.33M at appointment of the Independent Operator, and US$3.33M on the first anniversary of appointment.

Additional charges include Rail Access Fee: US$1.55–US$1.95 per ton (inflation-indexed), Cross-Border Transit Fee: US$0.10 per wet ton, and a previously advanced US$37 million remains non-refundable unless Liberia denies access.

Ivanhoe Atlantic has already submitted its Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to the EPA, following consultations with communities along the rail corridor.

This transition is one of the most scrutinized aspects of the deal, as it sets a precedent for shared rail usage among future mining companies.

Following the debate, a motion by Montserrado County District #2 Representative Sekou Kanneh was adopted, passing the agreement and forwarding it to the Liberian Senate for concurrence.