ANALYSIS - U.S. trade chief wows partners, substance awaited

By Jonathan Lynn

GENEVA (Reuters) - A visit to Geneva by new U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk has reinforced impressions the Obama administration is moving away from its tough campaign rhetoric on trade.

But while America's trade partners were impressed by Kirk's conciliatory style, they are still waiting to see the substance. And beneath the kind words the White House is making it clear it will still push hard for U.S. interests.

In last year's election campaign, Barack Obama promised to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to include labour and environment standards, boost the enforcement of existing trade deals, consider safeguard restrictions on Chinese imports and put pressure on Beijing to reform its currency policy.

Since taking office in the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression, President Obama appears to have decided that trade is part of the solution to the economy.

And the first African-American president, who has made reaching out to other countries a hallmark of his foreign policy, has heard other leaders calling for the United States to lead the fight against protectionism and for a deal in the World Trade Organisation's long-running Doha round.

"You can point to lots of things that show the Obama administration realised we are part of the global economy and we can't turn away from that," Christopher Wenk, senior director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told Reuters.

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