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 ( ANCTF ) pulled its $46 billion bid to buy

7-Eleven's parent company Seven & i Holdings ( SVNDF ), saying

the Japanese retailer did not engage constructively on the deal

that would have created a global convenience store giant.

Gold prices edged down on a firmer U.S. dollar while

copper prices slid with tariffs in focus. Oil prices

inched up.

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.

FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES:

TSX market report

Canadian dollar and bonds report

Reuters global stocks poll for Canada

Canadian markets directory