"It's possible that [Mr Trump's] statements made during the campaign may prove to have been merely rhetoric, and the US will maintain its orthodox approach to international trade. That will be the hope of business in New Zealand," Mr Hope said.
The overall result could be a general decrease in international trade which would not be in New Zealand's interests, given the nation's highly trade-reliant economy. Craigs Investment Partners broker Peter McIntyre said many of Mr Trump's policies were strongly positive for US economic growth, but some could come at the expense of other parts of the world.
"New Zealand is likely to be somewhat insulated from these issues, and our economy is in exceptionally good shape, which bodes well if we're going into a more volatile period," Mr McIntyre said.
He pointed out that as New Zealand's third largest export market, the US took 11.7% of our total goods and services, with key US imports being meat, dairy products and wine. He also noted 8.3% of total tourist spending came from US visitors and about 3.5% of permanent immigrants came from the US, "We are not in the immediate firing line for any new tariffs, but the US is still an important trading partner in itself," he said.
Of the controversial Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, Mr McIntyre said it could have improved export opportunities for many into the US but now looked to be a "long-shot" under Mr Trump's presidency.
He said domestically focused US companies could do very well under Mr Trump, most notably in the financial, energy and biotech sectors. Mr Trump's pro-growth policies, tax reform, increased infrastructure spending, higher interest rates and a strong US dollar offered clear opportunities for New Zealand investors, Mr McIntyre said.