The Bulk carrier Harbel Tapper was launched in 1981 from the Koyo Dockyard, Mihara, Japan. Harbel Tapper was operated by L&C Shipping Lines, the dedicated shipping service of Firestone Natural Rubber Company. The ship, along with its sister ship the Harbel Cutlass, provided the only direct shipping service between Liberia and the United States. The ship typically completed six round-trip voyages a year, carrying both bulk liquid and dry cargo.