Stock futures gained as President Donald Trump suggested many trade deals are near, while also endorsing cutting the tariff rate on China before weekend talks. Futures tied to the Dow were higher by 101 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 futures were up 0.3%. Nasdaq-100 futures climbed 0.4%. “80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B.,” the president said on Truth Social ahead of talks lead by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with China counterparts in Switzerland this weekend. Trump has left a 145% tariff on China unchanged despite issuing a 90-day pause on higher rates for most countries last month. But there’s been speculation lately that the administration would lower the rate significantly to de-escalate negotiations and jumpstart talks. Trump’s Truth Social suggests he’s willing to do this, but the new rate he suggests is still higher than many expected. Bloomberg News reported earlier that the rate could be lowered below 60% as soon as this week. It was also unclear if the president is talking about a long-term tariff rate on China or a temporary one during negotiations. Nonetheless, market sentiment has improved this week with Trump on Thursday announcing a preliminary trade agreement with the U.K., which is the first deal between the U.S. and a global trading partner since Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff announcement last month. Traders hope this will establish a framework for the U.S. to quickly strike more deals with major nations, even though a 10% tariff rate on the U.K. appears to be the baseline for the globe. Trump even noted that the 10% rate represents the lower end of what other countries can expect, and said in comments after the U.K. deal “some will be much higher because they have massive trade surpluses.” “While trade with the UK pales in comparison to trade with our neighbors to the North and South, and especially in comparison to China, it is an important test case and a model for what could be accomplished,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Northlight Asset Management. “If the administration can follow this up with additional agreements, it would go a long way toward healing a stock market that has been battered and bruised this year.” Stocks rose in the previous session though major averages ended the day off the highs, with Dow advancing 0.6% and the S&P 500 adding nearly 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite climbed about 1.1%. Week to date, the S&P 500 is on pace for a 0.4% decline, while the Nasdaq is on track to drop 0.3%. The Dow is toting a modest gain of 0.1%, heading for its third positive week in a row. Tech shares led premarket gains with Tesla and Apple slightly in the green. U.S. Treasury yields were little changed on Friday as investors remained optimistic about the U.S. striking more trade deals on tariffs with international trade partners. At 7:20 a.m. ET, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed less than a basis point to 4.386%. The 2-year Treasury yield moved over 2 basis points lower to 3.868%. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Friday as investors parsed China’s exports-imports data for April, with focus also on impending trade talks between Beijing and Washington. China stocks, however, did not get a boost from the strong data as tariff worries weigh on investor sentiment. Mainland China’s CSI 300 fell 0.17% to close at 3,846.16, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.4% to close at 22,867.74. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.56% to close at 37,503.33 and the Topix gained 1.29% to end the trading day at 2,733.49. South Korea’s Kospi slid 0.09% to close at 2,577.27 and the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.97% to close at 722.52. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.48% to close at 8,231.2. India’s Nifty 50 fell nearly 1% as tensions between India and Pakistan escalate. Oil prices rose on Friday, poised for a weekly gain as trade tensions between top oil consumers China and the United States showed signs of easing and Britain announced a “breakthrough” U.S. trade deal. Brent crude firmed by 83 cents, or 1.3%, to $63.27 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 85 cents, or 1.4%, at $60.76. On the week, both contracts were up about 4%. Gold prices rose on Friday and were headed for a weekly gain, supported by a weaker dollar and lingering geopolitical tensions, while focus remained on U.S.-China trade talks due this weekend. Spot gold was up 0.7% to $3,326.99 an ounce at 0847 GMT. The metal has gained 2.5% so far this week. U.S. gold futures were up 0.7% to $3,328.10. The dollar index slipped 0.3%, making gold more attractive for holders of other currencies.