Boakai Launches Trade Office In Philadelphia
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, officially launched the country’s Trade and Investment Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, a dispatch has confirmed.
The Wednesday’s ceremony marked a bold new chapter in the country’s efforts to strengthen trade, attract investment, and engage the Liberian-Diaspora in national development.
The launch, according to a dispatch, was held on the margins of Pres. Boakai’s official working visit to the United States at the invitation of U.S. President Donald John Trump.
It reflects the President’s unwavering commitment to unlocking economic opportunity, and positioning the country as a “credible and competitive destination for global commerce.”
In a demonstration of the importance attached to the initiative, the President designated Ambassador Charles Snetter, Ambassador At-Large, who represented him at the official opening and delivered remarks on his behalf at the Liberia-U.S. Business and Trade Conference in Philadelphia.
Amb. Snetter conveyed the President’s strong message of partnership, progress, and shared prosperity.
Located at 325-41 Chestnut Street in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic commercial district, the Liberia Trade and Investment Office serves as a central resource for American businesses, diaspora entrepreneurs, and investors seeking market entry support, regulatory guidance, and partnerships across key sectors, including agribusiness, energy, digital services, light manufacturing, and sustainable tourism.
Pres. Boakai emphasized the importance of leveraging the initiative to deepen U.S.-Liberia economic ties, while mobilizing Liberians in the diaspora to contribute their talents, capital, and innovation toward their country’s transformation.
Key sessions at the two-day conference highlighted investment-ready projects, value-added export opportunities under “Made in Liberia,” and financing instruments from the U.S. EXIM Bank, DFC, and other multilateral partners.
A special session titled: “Mobilizing Liberians Abroad,” explored scalable public-private models for road, port, energy, agriculture, and broadband expansion.
The conference concluded with the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Liberia, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), and the Laborers’ District Council of Philadelphia.
The aim is to foster workforce development and technical exchange. Amb. Snetter and the Liberian delegation also visited the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority to explore logistics collaboration and export growth.
Pres. Boakai was represented by a high-level delegation, including Ambs. Snetter, and Gurley Gibson-Schwarz, Liberia’s Trade and Investment Representative to the United States, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the National Investment Commission, and the Ministry of Finance.