mr. speaker , i rise today in opposition to house joint resolution 27 .  withdrawing from the world trade organization ( wto ) would be an abandonment of america 's leadership in trade and an economic disaster for our nation .  for decades , the united states has been the leading voice in the world for the free market system and economic cooperation among nations because capitalism works for america .  we were one of the founders of the general agreement on tariffs and trade as well as its successor , the wto .  america has consistently pushed for a rational , rules-based approach in dealing with international trade because we know our unique , competitive , vibrant , and innovative economy will allow most u.s. economic sectors to compete successfully against any nation provided we have a fair playing field and open access to foreign markets .  if we abandon the wto , we abandon those years of leadership in trade .  do we want the europeans or the japanese to be the economic model other nations look to emulate ?  do we really want them to decide the rules by which the rest of the world economy will run ?  if we shut ourselves out of the process , we put our farmers , manufacturers , businesses , an workers at a strategic disadvantage compared to others in the world .  north carolina 's economy depends on exports , and we need to break down barriers to overseas markets so that our technology , agriculture , manufacturing and other sectors can expand on our progress in international competition .  studies show that one in five manufacturing jobs in north carolina depend on exports .  these jobs on average pay 13-18 percent more than the u.s. average .  every $ 1 billion in exports creates 20 , 000 jobs in the united states .  the united states represents only 4.7 percent of the world population .  if we want our economy to continue to grow , we need to be able to sell to the other 95.3 percent of the world .  the wto , for all its flaws and faults , remains the best venue for leveling the playing field and gaining access to new markets .  that is why i urge my colleagues to vote down this resolution .  