A key Bush administration trade official predicted Thursday that President-elect Barack Obama will face “unprecedented” anti-trade pressures in the coming years.

Christopher Padilla, the Commerce undersecretary for international trade, also urged the new administration not to ignore pending trade agreements or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Padilla said Obama will confront “more political pressure for protectionism than any other chief executive since 1930,” citing the global financial crisis, a recent political stalemate on trade agreements and the election last week of many new skeptics of free trade to the House and Senate.

Padilla made his remarks at George Washington University, two days before world leaders arrive in Washington for a summit to discuss the global financial crisis, and as the Bush administration pushes Congress to approve the long-stalled U.S.-Colombia trade agreement next week in a lame-duck session. Democratic leaders want to advance an economic stimulus package, but are resistant to passing the Colombia deal.

“With Congress set to return in the coming days, I hope they will help to boost our exports by approving key market-opening agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea,” U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a statement.

New Commerce Department trade figures released Thursday showed a decline in both exports and imports from August to September amid a weakening economy. Falling oil prices also helped push the trade deficit to its lowest level in nearly a year.