[AMSTERDAM] Roughly half of Dutch cheese exports to the United States will be affected by a 25 per cent tariff Washington has threatened to slap on European food products, the Dutch Trade Ministry said on Friday.

The Netherlands, the world's second-largest agricultural exporter after the United States, exported 80 million euros (S$121.1 million) worth of cheese to the United States last year.

Around 39 million euros worth of cheese destined for US markets will fall under the new 25 per cent tariff set to be implemented on Oct 18, the ministry said in a statement.

Other countries have also complained that their cheese exports would be hurt.

On Wednesday the World Trade Organisation awarded Washington the right to impose tariffs on US$7.5 billion worth of EU goods annually in a long-running case, threatening to ignite a tit-for-tat transatlantic trade war.

The United States on Wednesday said it would slap 10 per cent tariffs on European-made Airbus planes and 25 per cent duties on French wine, Scotch and Irish whiskies, and cheese from across the continent as punishment for illegal EU aircraft subsidies.

REUTERS