PRECIOUS-Gold rises as US-China trade deal uncertainty fuels demand

By Anmol Choubey

June 11 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Wednesday as uncertainty surrounding the finalisation of a U.S.-China trade agreement weighed on sentiment and fuelled some safe-haven buying, with investors awaiting key U.S. inflation data for further market direction.

Spot gold XAU= gained 0.5% to $3,337.99 an ounce, as of 0544 GMT. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 rose 0.5% to $3,359.20.

U.S. and Chinese officials said on Tuesday they had agreed on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths, following two days of negotiations in London, with both sides planning to seek approval from their respective presidents.

"We know that U.S. and Chinese negotiators have agreed on a 'framework', but until Trump or Xi approves them, uncertainty lingers. And that uncertainty is supporting gold heading into the inflation figures," said Matt Simpson, a senior analyst at City Index.

The U.S. and China had imposed tit-for-tat tariffs in April, sparking a trade war. Following talks in Geneva last month, both nations agreed to cut tariffs from triple-digit levels.

The World Bank on Tuesday slashed its global growth forecast for 2025 by 0.4% to 2.3%, saying that higher tariffs and heightened uncertainty posed a "significant headwind" for nearly all economies.

"In the short term, the gold price is likely to consolidate before staging another rally toward $3,600/oz by year-end," ANZ Research said in a note.

The U.S. consumer price index (CPI) report due at 1230 GMT could give investors more guidance on the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy path.

The Federal Reserve will keep interest rates on hold for at least another couple of months, according to most economists polled by Reuters, as risks linger that inflation may resurge due to Trump's tariff policies.

Elsewhere, spot silver XAG= was down 0.1% to $36.52 per ounce, platinum XPT= rose 1.4% to $1,238.97, while palladium XPD= was up 1% to $1,070.88.