CANADA STOCKS-TSX futures muted with trade updates, corporate news in focus

July 17 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's benchmark index were subdued on Thursday with investors looking for trade updates and assessing corporate news.

Futures on the S&P/TSX index .SXFcv1 were unchanged at 1,615.80 points by 06:15 a.m. ET (1015 GMT).

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that steel tariff quotas will be introduced for countries with which Canada has free trade agreements, excluding the U.S., in a bid to protect the domestic steel industry.

The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump increasing import duties on steel and aluminum to 50% from 25% earlier this month. But existing arrangements with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement will be upheld.

Investors are monitoring tariff updates with the August 1 deadline quickly approaching. Japan held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and Europe Union's trade chief headed to Washington on Wednesday.

In corporate news, Circle K-operator Alimentation Couche-Tard ATD.TO pulled its $46 billion bid to buy 7-Eleven's parent company Seven & i Holdings 3382.T, saying the Japanese retailer did not engage constructively on the deal that would have created a global convenience store giant.

Gold XAU= prices edged down on a firmer U.S. dollar while copper prices slid with tariffs in focus. Oil prices CLc1, LCOc1 inched up. O/R GOL/ MET/L

TSX ended higher on Wednesday, boosted by technology and financial shares with investors shrugging off increased uncertainty about the Federal Reserve's leadership.

U.S. economic data expected later in the day, including weekly jobless figures and June retail sales, will be scrutinized for insight on how the economy is holding up under a shifting tariff and trade policy.

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