Gold prices were steady on Tuesday as the dollar remained under pressure on signs that United States President Donald Trump would adopt a protectionist stance on trade.

Spot gold was mostly unchanged at $1,217.42 per ounce by 0337 GMT, after hitting their strongest since Nov. 22 at $1,219.59 earlier in the session. Spot gold looks exhausted and may again fail to break a strong resistance at $1,219 per ounce before retracing towards a support at $1,196, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. 

U.S. gold futures inched up 0.2 percent, to $1,218.

Trump formally withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on Monday and told U.S. manufacturing executives he would impose a hefty border tax on firms that import products after moving American factories overseas.