July 24 (Reuters) - Futures tracking Canada's blue-chip

stocks index edged higher on Friday, after tech and consumer

discretionary shares led the index lower in the previous

session, while tensions in the Middle East remained in focus.

September futures tracking the resource-heavy S&P/TSX

Composite index were up 0.3% at 6:30 a.m. ET, suggesting

a possible reversal to Thursday's losses. The TSX is on track

for marginal weekly losses.

Here are some details:

* Oil prices slipped, but were still on track for weekly

gains over concerns about disrupted energy flows in the Red Sea

and fears of further escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

* Brent crude futures fell 2.7%, while West Texas

Intermediate crude slipped 2.4%.

* Gold prices edged up marginally as inflation concerns

strengthened the case for higher interest rates ahead of a

Federal Reserve policy meeting next week. Spot gold was

up 0.2%, while silver was up 1.2%

* Separately, the U.S. imposed new tariffs of 10% and 12.5%

on goods from 60 trading partners, including the EU and China,

alleging those countries failed to curb imports made by forced

labor, just as a temporary 10% global tariff expired.

* Earlier in the week, Trump had imposed a 50% tariff on a

range of Canadian imports. However, the U.S. is aiming for

interim trade deals with Canada and Mexico by the end of 2026.

* Dutch engineering consultancy group Arcadis said

it had received a second unsolicited takeover bid from Canadian

peer WSP Global ( WSPOF ), confirming a previous Reuters report.

* Separately, climate technology developer Enervoxa plans

talks with India's Vedanta, Hindalco Industries

and state-run NALCO as it looks to set up a

rare earth processing plant in the nation.

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