BEIJING (Reuters) - Guo Qingshan delights in riding his 400,000 yuan ($63,839) Harley-Davidson motorcycle around Beijing’s suburbs. The 32-year-old, who lives in a village outside Beijing, said, "I love the sound of the engine and the muscle of the motor. When I ride it, I feel free and proud." But Guo has limits. If prices rise, he said he wouldn't contemplate buying another Harley. Deteriorating trade ties between the United States and China could make American imports, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, much more expensive as the two countries impose tit-for-tat tariffs. Since entering office, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a hard line on trade, and last month the U.S. said it would impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from most trading partners, including China. In response, China slapped additional import taxes on 128 U.S. products, including frozen pork and wine. Soon after, it said it was considering additional duties on 106 U.S. imports, though it has not said when the new tariffs could take effect. U.S. goods in the crossfire range from soybeans, cotton, autos and auto parts to whiskey and certain varieties of wheat, with their value totaling $50 billion. The tensions are already affecting consumers in China. Zang Yi, owner of a Tesla, said she wouldn't consider American brands when buying a new car if U.S. imports became pricier. "With the tariff, I would have to pay tax of 100,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan if I were to buy a new Tesla," she said. Liu Anqi, 25, has just opened a bakery in Beijing with her friend; she also teaches customers how to make cakes with a brand of flour that uses only wheat from the United States and Canada. Liu said, "Flour is one of the most important ingredients in baking and its quality varies with different brands." She added that finding a new brand would be time-consuming, and higher taxes on this wheat would force her to raise cake prices and tuition fees, which could drive customers away.

Not all business owners are concerned. At Wolfgang’s, a high-end steakhouse in East Beijing’s Sanlitun district, head chef Liang Xin said U.S. beef has always been limited in China, so he didn’t know how customers would react if the restaurant had to raise prices. A 15-kg whole cut of beef from the United States is around 20 percent more expensive than its Australian counterpart, said Daniel Sui, deputy general manager at Wolfgang’s. "Customers like U.S. beef because it tastes juicy and tender, but Wolfgang’s only sells around seven to eight pieces of U.S. imported beef steak each day," Sui said. "The limited supply is because the Chinese government bans feed additives and only 5 percent of U.S. beef is qualified for export."

Liu Ming, a chef at a Sichuan restaurant in Beijing, said the oil his restaurant uses is produced from soybeans imported from the United States, and the business won’t change the brand even if prices rise. "We use this oil because it gives the food a bright color and does not leave a strange smell or taste," he said. "We don't know what will happen to our dishes if we change the oil." Reporting by Thomas Suen and Thomas Peter. Additional reporting by Joseph Campbell and Martin Pollard. Writing by Ryan Woo. Editing by Karishma Singh.