PRECIOUS-Gold prices extend gains as US-China trade war escalates

• Trump raises tariffs on Chinese imports to 125%
• Gold should see $3,600 in about a year's time, analyst says
• US CPI data due at 1230 GMT

By Anmol Choubey

April 10 (Reuters) - Gold prices extended gains on Thursday, driven by an escalating trade war between the United States and China, even after President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs for other countries.

Spot gold XAU= was up 1.3% at $3,122.02 an ounce at 1129 GMT, after its biggest daily gain since October 2023 on Wednesday. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 were up 1.9% at $3,137.80.

"We're just living in a world of extreme uncertainty. We just don't really know which way this trade war is going to go ... I think for the course of this year, gold will march higher," said Nitesh Shah, commodities strategist at WisdomTree.

Trump said on Wednesday he would temporarily lower the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries, but ramped up the tariff on China to 125% from 104% following Beijing's decision to impose an 84% levy on U.S. goods.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's minutes of its meeting last month showed policymakers were nearly unanimous in thinking the U.S. economy faced simultaneous risks of higher inflation and slower growth, with some noting that "difficult trade-offs" could lie ahead for the central bank.

Investors' focus is on U.S. consumer price index data at 1230 GMT to gauge the trajectory of the Fed's monetary policy. The market is currently pricing in 84 basis points of rate cuts by year-end. USDIRPR

Bullion is viewed as a safe haven amid geopolitical and economic uncertainties, and tends to thrive in a low-interest rate environment. Spot gold prices have maintained an upward trend from last year, and have risen over 18% this year.

"My forecast (for gold) is for $3,600 in about a year's time with a lot of upside risk, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get to $4,000," Shah said.

Spot silver XAG= fell 0.6% to $30.85 an ounce, platinum XPT= lost 0.4% to $933.55, and palladium XPD= was down 1.7% at $915.68.