By Jerromie S. Walters
The plenary of the House of Representatives of the 55th National Legislature has ratified the Concession and Access Agreement (“the CAA”) executed between the Government of Liberia and Ivanhoe Limited (Ivanhoe). Plenary took the decision on Thursday, December 11, 2025, with 38 lawmakers voting in favor of the agreement’s ratification.
This decision followed a report from the House’s Joint Committee on Investment & Concession, Judiciary, and Transport. The Liberia Concession and Access Agreement (CAA) with Ivanhoe Liberia Ltd., was signed on July 5, 2025. It is a major deal granting Ivanhoe long-term, multi-user access (up to 30 mtpa) to Liberia’s rail and port for its $1.8 billion iron ore project (Kon Kweni) in Guinea, aiming for economic transformation and infrastructure development.
However, the deal has since faced significant controversy and legal scrutiny. Critics cite a lack of transparency, potential violations of the 2019 Liberia-Guinea Implementation Agreement (IA) by bypassing joint oversight and a standardized template, and concerns about Ivanhoe’s record. The Liberia-Guinea Implementation Agreement (IA) is a legal framework for Guinean companies to use Liberian rail and port infrastructure for exporting their mineral products.
The agreement heads to the Liberian Senate for concurrence.
