By Sam Meredith, CNBC–

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open Tuesday morning, despite heightened fears of a bitter trade dispute between the U.S. and major economies around the world.

At around 5:15 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose 73 points, indicating an implied open of around 72 points higher. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures also pointed to a modestly higher start to the session for both of their respective markets.

The moves in pre-market trade come shortly before initial U.S. and Chinese tariffs are due to take effect. President Donald Trump’s administration is set to activate tariffs on Chinese goods worth around $34 billion on Friday, which is then widely expected to trigger a tit-for-tat response from Beijing.

U.S. stocks finished the first trading day of the quarter slightly higher Monday, amid strong gains in tech. Nonetheless, the major indexes fell sharply earlier in the session as Wall Street grew even more worried about the spat between the U.S. and its key trade partners.

On the data front, factory orders for May are expected to be published at around 10 a.m. ET, with light vehicle sales data for June set to follow later in the session.

In corporate news, Acuity BrandsAYI and AZZAZZ were both due to release their latest figures shortly before the opening bell.

— CNBC’s Fred Imbert contributed to this report.