EU trade chief to visit Washington

The EU's trade chief says she will travel to Washington early next year to press U.S. lawmakers to approve a new global trade deal.

Catherine Ashton says countries are hoping to reach a new deal this month at World Trade Organization talks in Geneva after previous discussions collapsed in July.

She says WTO chief Pascal Lamy has met with members of President-elect Barack Obama's team to help ensure the new U.S. administration supports global trade talks.

Ashton says she will try to convince skeptical U.S. lawmakers that a new deal will be good for the U.S. economy.

Ashton did not say Tuesday when exactly she might travel to Washington.