2019.11.2109:49:00UTC+00Gold Prices Ease After Fed Minutes

Gold prices drifted lower on Thursday after the minutes of the October meeting of the Federal Reserve's interest-rate-setting committee suggested the bank will not likely change interest rates soon.

Spot gold slipped 0.15 percent to $1,468.88 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures were down 0.4 percent at $1,468.65 per ounce.

Losses remain limited amid renewed uncertainty about the Phase 1 trade deal between the U.S. and China.

U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he has not made a trade deal with China yet because Beijing is not "stepping up" in negotiations. "I don't think they're stepping up to the level that I want," he said.

A U.S. bill aimed at protecting Hong Kong's freedom also added to tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

China threatened "strong countermeasures" if U.S. lawmakers throw their support behind the protesters in Hong Kong.