Ivanhoe Atlantic (formerly known as HPX), has been inducted as an official member of the Liberia Chamber of Mines.
The induction, done during the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting and 3rd anniversary celebration held last Wednesday, April 16, comes as the company is locked in a contentious battle with ArcelorMittal, another long-term Chamber member, over access to the Yekepa-Buchanan railroad asset.
The Nimba-Buchanan railroad, currently managed by ArcelorMittal under its Nimba concession, has emerged as a key point of dispute. Ivanhoe Atlantic has been pushing for multi-user access to the railroad, a position supported by the Liberian government.
In response, the government has invoked an Executive Order to establish an independent rail operator, aiming to resolve the standoff and ensure broader access to this vital infrastructure.
However, the ongoing conflict has delayed the passage of mineral development agreements for both companies, impacting Liberia’s mining sector.
The Liberia Chamber of Mines, which focuses on advisory, linkages, and advocacy according to its website, now faces the challenge of mediating between two of its heavyweight members.
It remains unclear what steps the Chamber will take to bring Ivanhoe Atlantic and ArcelorMittal to the table to find common ground and resolve their long-running dispute.
In his address, Chamber President Amara Kamara welcomed Ivanhoe Atlantic, stating that “their global expertise and innovative approach to mining will strengthen our advocacy for sustainable growth. We look forward to their active participation as we work to elevate Liberia’s mining industry to new heights,” Kamara added.
According to Kamara, under the year in review, the Chamber, as part of its advocacy function, managed to work with the government—particularly the Ministry of Mines—in establishing and gaining representation at the Mineral Sector Working Group (MSWG), which provides non-regulatory guidance and oversight on cross-cutting issues related to the management of the country’s mineral sector.
“At the Chamber, we facilitated and hosted roundtable discussions with foreign and local stakeholders to review current mining laws and push for necessary amendments that are aligned with international best practices and support sector growth,” Kamara added. “Also, we have managed to secure representation on the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), for which our members’ interests will be highly pursued.”
Among the achievements is the ongoing advocacy on the Joint Administrative Regulation, through which the Chamber actively submitted recommendations and feedback from its members regarding the JAR. Other achievements include continued advocacy for the reconsideration or reduction of certain fees and charges that risk disrupting mining activities.
The Chamber is the primary association for the country’s mining sector, uniting license holders, service providers, and suppliers. The Chamber’s five thematic priorities include advocacy, access to resources, compliance, advisory, and access to markets.
It aims to provide a productive space to strengthen linkages between local suppliers, service providers, and exploration and development projects, while also facilitating policy and reform dialogue with regulators, as well as introducing and upgrading industry standards, innovation, and training.
