MONROVIA, Nov. 11 -- On paper, Liberia has rarely looked better. The economy grew 5.1 percent in 2025, mining and panning expanded by 17 percent, export volumes jumped 31.5 percent, and headline inflation eased to an average of 8.5 percent by December, down from a peak of 11.6 percent. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Union are all underwriting the recovery.

By Rodney D. Sieh

Yet the United States government's newest assessment of Liberia as a place to put money, published in early November in the State Department's 2026 Investment Climate Statements, reads less like a sales brochure than a warning label.

Strip away the diplomatic packaging and the message to American compan...