TSX futures inch up ahead of key economic data
(Reuters) -Futures linked to Canada's primary stock index rose slightly on Thursday, as investors awaited economic data from the United States and home to assess the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on the economy and global trade.
The S&P/TSX index futures were up 0.2% at 6:35 am ET (1035 GMT).
Data scheduled for Thursday are U.S. initial jobless claims and the international trade report at 08:30 a.m. ET. Focus will also be on Friday's employment figures from Canada and non-farm payrolls data from the U.S. to assess the effect of Trump's trade policies on the labour market.
Meanwhile, the United States' tariff hike on steel and aluminum took effect on Wednesday. Canada, the largest seller of the metals to the U.S., exports roughly twice as much aluminum as the rest of the top 10 exporters combined.
Canadian companies and a major union said higher U.S. tariffs could result in more job losses and lost sales.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is prepared to strike back against the U.S. if talks with Washington to remove tariffs do not succeed.
Also on Thursday, China blocked Canada's request to set up a dispute panel to review additional import duties by Beijing on certain Canadian products.
Eyes will be on potential negotiations between Washington and its trading partners, with Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping expected to speak sometime this week.
In commodities, oil and gold prices held steady, while London copper prices inched up.
Canada's commodity-linked main stock index fell on Wednesday as lower oil prices weighed on energy shares.
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