March 15 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock

index rose on Friday as copper prices surged on a potential

output cut by China, while investors awaited domestic housing

starts data to gauge the strength of the Canadian economy.

March futures on the S&P/TSX index were up 0.3% at

6:45 a.m. ET (10:45 GMT) after the benchmark S&P/TSX index

retreated from a two-year high in the previous session

as traders revised their rate-cut bets.

The focus of the day will be the materials sector

that houses precious and base metals miners, as Shanghai copper

prices hit a record high while prices in London touched an

11-month peak, buoyed by a potential output cut in top producer

China.

Gold managed to eke out gains but was set for its first

weekly drop in four weeks after surprisingly hot U.S. inflation

readings prompted traders to re-think imminent Fed rate cuts.

Energy shares may see a decline with Brent futures

falling 0.7% to $84.85 a barrel after crossing $85 a

barrel for the first time since November on Thursday.

Investors will also keep an eye on the housing data, due at

8:15 a.m. ET, which is expected to show that the seasonally

adjusted annualized rate of housing starts rose to 230,000 units

in February, according to a Reuters poll of economists, from

223,600 units a month ago.

In the U.S., futures moved slightly higher as investors

braced for a Fed meeting next week that could provide clues on

the timing of the central bank's interest rate cuts.

In domestic company news, TC Energy ( TRP ) agreed to sell

its Prince Rupert natural gas pipeline project to two partners

in Ksi Lisims LNG, a proposed Canadian export terminal, the

North American pipeline operator said on Thursday.

COMMODITIES AT 6:45 a.m. ET

Gold futures: $2,174.3; +0.3%

US crude: $80.69; -0.7%

Brent crude: $84.85; -0.7%

($1= C$1.3535)