PRECIOUS-Gold climbs back toward record high as Trump auto tariffs stoke trade fears

• Trump unveiled 25% auto tariffs on Wednesday
• Gold hits its highest since March 20 record
• U.S. PCE data due on Friday

March 27 (Reuters) - Gold prices climbed back towards last week's record high on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on auto imports starting next week, escalating global trade tensions that have been driving safe-haven demand for gold.

Spot gold XAU= had jumped more than 1% to $3,053 an ounce as of 1215 GMT, just a few dollars away from the all-time high of $3,057.21 hit on March 20. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 climbed 1.3% to $3,062.

Gold, traditionally seen as a hedge against uncertainty and inflation, has risen more than 15% this year.

"Policymaking coming from the U.S. is driving huge amounts of uncertainty and gold, being the defensive, anti-fragile asset, is largely going up because of those uncertainties," Nitesh Shah, commodities strategist at WisdomTree, said.

Trump on Wednesday unveiled a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks, set to come into effect the day after he plans to announce reciprocal tariffs aimed at the countries responsible for the bulk of the U.S. trade deficit.

Traders are now looking to Friday's U.S. personal consumption expenditures data, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, to shed more light on the U.S. central bank's rate cut path.

The Fed held its benchmark interest rate steady last week but indicated it could cut rates later this year. Non-yielding bullion tends to thrive in a low interest-rate environment.

"We maintain our bullish stance on gold, though a consolidation is possible after the recent swift rally towards $3,040/oz," ANZ analysts said in a note.

Goldman Sachs on Wednesday raised its end-2025 gold price forecast to $3,300 per ounce from $3,100, citing stronger-than-expected ETF inflows and sustained central bank demand.

Spot silver XAG= rose 1.2% to $34.10 an ounce, platinum XPT= steadied at $973.75 and palladium XPD= added 0.7% to $974.51.

Spot gold price in USD per oz