EU Trade Chief Will Continue Talks With U.S.'s Lighthizer

The European Union’s trade chief, Cecilia Malmstrom, will continue talks with her U.S. counterpart on Thursday, after the two met earlier in the week in an effort to tamp down escalating commercial tensions, according to the European Commission.

The EU said after the first meeting that it was preparing to ask its member governments for the green light to start negotiating with the U.S. on a free-trade deal. Malmstrom and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will take stock of the technical work that continued after their Tuesday meeting, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.