08:27 AM EST, 02/20/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity futures were cautiously lower premarket Thursday amid concerns about trade tariffs and geopolitical concerns.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 0.3%, S&P 500 futures declined 0.3%, and Nasdaq futures were down 0.2%.

Traders weighed comments from US President Donald Trump that he plans to escalate certain tariffs, including a 25% hike in imported lumber. Trump also referred to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "dictator" and blamed him for the Russian invasion.

Oil prices were higher, with front-month global benchmark North Sea Brent crude up 0.5% at $76.37 per barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude up 0.4% at $72.38 per barrel.

New unemployment claims, scheduled for release at 8:30 am ET, are seen rising to 215,000 in the week ended Feb. 15 from 213,000 in the preceding week. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index is expected to drop to 19.4 in February from a 44.3 reading in January, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Forecasters see the index of leading economic indicators, due at 10 am ET, declining 0.1% in January to match December's decrease.