By Alexandra Gibbs, CNBC–

U.S. stock index futures pushed higher ahead of Wednesday’s open, adding onto the gains seen in the previous trading session.

Around 4:30 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose 50 points, indicating a positive open of 65.94 points. Futures on the S&P 500 were slightly higher, indicating an upbeat open of 5.41 points, while Nasdaq futures popped, signaling an open of 26.63 points up.

Across the Atlantic, Asia markets mostly fell into the red, while stocks in Europe showed a positive picture in early trade.

An air of caution continues to linger among investors worldwide, as turbulence surrounding trade relations and politics bubble away. Last Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters that he was “ready to go” on hitting China with an additional $267 billion worth of tariffs, on top the already $200 billion in tariffs, previously announced.

This Tuesday, news emerged that China would seek permission from the World Trade Organization to inflict sanctions upon the U.S. soon; meantime investors question what this will mean for the two nations going forward. In fact, at the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia, leading figures including President Vladimir Putin have been discussing the threat of protectionism, with Russia and China pledging to fight this issue.

In data, the latest price producer index figures are due out today, which should appeal to investors.