INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
delights in riding his 400,000 yuan ($63,839) Harley-Davidson motorbike around Beijing's suburbs."I love the sound of the engine and the
When I ride it, I feel free and proud," the 32-year-old said.However, Guo has his limits.Deteriorating trade ties between the United States
and China could mean American imports, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, could be much more expensive in the future as the two
countries trade tit-for-tat tax hikes on each other's goods.If prices rise, Gao said he wouldn't contemplate buying another Harley.Since
entering office, United States President Donald Trump has taken a hard line on trade
Last month, the world's biggest economy 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 United States products, including frozen pork and wine
Soon after, it said it was considering additional duties on 106 United States imports, though it has not said when the new tariffs could
kick in.United States goods in the crossfire range from soybeans, cotton, autos and auto parts, to whiskey and particular varieties of
wheat, with their value totalling $50 billion.The tensions are already affecting consumers in China.Zang Yi, owner of a Tesla car, said if
the trade tensions resulted in pricier United States imports, she wouldn't consider American brands when the time comes to buy a new
runs a wine store, said the tariffs won't have any impact on his business (Reuters)Liu Anqi, 25, has just opened a bakery in Beijing with
She also teaches customers how to make cakes with a brand of flour that uses only wheat from the United States and Canada."Flour is one of
the most important ingredients in baking and its quality varies with different brands," Liu said, adding 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 turn customers away.Already
expensiveNot all business owners are concerned.At Wolfgang's , a high-end steak house in East Beijing's Sanlitun district, head chef
Liang Xin said United States beef has always been limited in China, so he doesn't know how customers would react if the restaurant has 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 United States beef because it tastes juicy and tender, but Wolfgang's
only sells around seven to eight pieces of United States imported beef steak each day," Sui said."The limited supply is because the Chinese
government bans feed additives and only 5 percent of United States beef is qualified for export."Liu Ming, a chef at a Sichuan restaurant
in Beijing, said the oil that his restaurant uses is produced with 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 colour and does not leave a strange smell or taste," he
