WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Obama administration expects to meet a March 1 deadline to release its trade agenda for 2009, even though its top trade nominee still has not been approved, an administration aide said on Thursday.
"We expect to meet the March 1 deadline for releasing it to Congress. We are also planning for roll-out on Monday," the administration aide said.
U.S. law requires the U.S. Trade Representative's office to file a report to Congress every year by March 1 outlining its trade agenda for the upcoming year.
The first such report since President Barack Obama took office will be eagerly pored over for details on Obama's commitment to finishing the ongoing Doha round of world trade talks, as well as how he will handle pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
Industry officials said they expect a very general document that leaves Obama plenty of room to maneuver on politically sensitive trade issues.
In a speech to Congress on Tuesday, Obama did not mention the Doha round or the three free trade agreements that former President George W. Bush was unable to persuade the Democratic-controlled Congress to approve.
Obama's nominee to be U.S. Trade Representative, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, is still awaiting Senate approval. That delay has contributed to uncertainty over how Obama will approach trade.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said this week his panel could hold a hearing on Kirk's nomination next week. However, no date has been set yet. (Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by David Storey)