TOKYO (Reuters) -A few Bank of Japan board members said the central bank would consider resuming interest rate increases if trade friction de-escalates, minutes of its June policy meeting showed on Tuesday. "Given high uncertainties, the BOJ would likely pause rate hikes for the time being. But it also must respond flexibly and nimbly, and return to a rate-hike phase depending on U.S. policy developments," one member was quoted as saying. At the June 16-17 meeting, the BOJ kept interest rates steady at 0.5% and decided to decelerate the pace of its balance sheet drawdown next year, signalling its preference to move cautiously in removing remnants of its massive stimulus. Many members said the central bank must keep interest rates steady due to downside risks to the economy from U.S. tariffs, even though inflation was somewhat overshooting forecasts, the minutes showed. "As wages had been solid and prices had been slightly higher than expected, the Bank would likely shift away from the current wait-and-see approach and consider resuming rate hikes, if trade friction de-escalates," a few members were quoted as saying.