By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - The United States will not retreat from the global marketplace but must address concerns by American workers that trade hurts them, President Barack Obama's chief trade negotiator said at his swearing in ceremony on Friday.
"We have to squarely face this challenge and create a new trade agenda that the public believes works for America's families, is transparent and reflects our basic values," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said after he was sworn into office by Vice President Joe Biden.
But "the United States will not retreat from the global marketplace nor our special role of leadership in shaping that policy," the former Dallas mayor said.
Kirk, confirmed by the Senate this week, comes into office when global trade is expected to fall for the first time since 1982 because of economic turmoil that has sapped consumer demand.
During last year's campaign, Obama tapped into anti-trade sentiment in the United States by promising to seek changes in the North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen its protections for workers and the environment.
Obama also distanced himself from former President George W. Bush's efforts to finish the seven-year-old Doha round of world trade talks, and opposed trade deals the Bush administration struck with Colombia and South Korea.
Since taking office, Obama has met with leaders of Mexico and Canada and said he wants to modify NAFTA without disrupting trade. His administration also has said it wants to work with Colombia and South Korea to set "benchmarks" for progress toward approving those pacts.
Kirk met with European Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton during his first full day on the job on Thursday. The two pledged to push for a deal in long-running world trade talks as soon as possible, without setting a hard deadline.
Biden said Kirk would work tenaciously to open markets for U.S. exports and to look out for the interests of American businesses and workers.
"He is a like a bulldog. He doesn't let anything go ... . You give him a mission, he accomplishes it," Biden said.
Kirk understands "there's not a trade-off between supporting free and fair trade and fighting for American workers. Not only can we, we have to do both," Biden said.
That "means a new social accountability (in trade policy) where American influence can shape global trends, where fairness becomes the guiding principle everywhere," he said. (Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Xavier Briand)