Dhaka, July 23 -- Oil prices edged up in Asian trade on Wednesday after falling for three consecutive sessions as a US trade deal, with Japan signalled progress on tariffs, though gains were capped by fading hopes for a breakthrough at an EU-China summit.

Brent crude futures rose 21 cents, or 0.31 per cent, to $68.80 a barrel by 0351 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 17 cents, or 0.26 per cent, at $65.48 per barrel.

Both benchmarks were down about 1.0 per cent in the previous session after the EU said it was considering countermeasures against US tariffs, as hope faded for a deal ahead of an August 1 deadline.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US and Japan had struck a trade deal that includes a 15 per ...