April 2 - Australian shares are set to open higher on Tuesday as upbeat factory activity data in China and the United States eased concerns about slowing growth, and progress in trade talks between the world's top two economies also boosted investor sentiment.
The local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.58 percent, a 23-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark gained 0.59 percent to close at a more than three-week high on Monday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.3 percent, or 25.77 points, to 9,879.68 in early trade.