mr. speaker , i concur with my ways and means democratic colleagues regarding the united states continued participation in the world trade organization ( wto ) . 
i do not agree with house joint resolution 27 and withdrawing congressional approval of the wto agreement . 
our society is becoming global . 
there is growing interdependence of countries , resulting from the increasing integration of trade , finance , people , and ideas in one global marketplace . 
so , as international trade expands due to globalization , we need a set of trade rules and an international body to enforce those rules -- the wto . 
the wto , and its predecessor , the general agreement on tariffs and trade , have opened foreign markets around the world for u.s. goods and services . 
this has created new opportunities for u.s. businesses , farmers , manufacturers , and workers . 
the u.s. economy is stronger because of the wto . 
there are improvements , however , that can be made . 
there has to be better collaboration in understanding the relationship between trade and labor issues . 
we must ensure that core labor standards are enforced , particularly in developing economies . 
we must have more meaningful dialogue about environmental issues in trade discussions . 
we can accomplish this by fully integrating the work of the wto committee on trade and environment into the work of wto negotiating groups . 
furthermore , the wto needs to be fully aware of the vulnerability of our domestic steel industry . 
ohio is the nation 's leading producer of steel . 
china 's strategy of undervaluing their currency , the yuan , and dumping steel into our domestic market puts ohioans in danger of losing their jobs . 
ohio manufacturers produced $ 4.59 billion in value-added steel production and processing last year . 
the steel industry generates over 110 , 000 jobs in the state of ohio . 
we can not compromise the strength of our domestic steel industry . 
the wto must be cognizant of the trade challenges faced by u.s. steel manufacturers . 
i believe that the united states should continue to be a member of the wto and remain committed to free trade . 
however , we must ensure that our domestic concerns are properly addressed within the wto . 
