Simon Bridges: Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO says Trump will be a topic of discussion at the US Business Summit in Auckland

New Zealand's relationship with the incoming Trump administration will be the main topic at a US Business Summit in Auckland today.  

It will feature speeches from the Prime Minister, Trade Minister Todd McClay, US Ambassador Tom Udall, and a variety of business voices.  

Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO Simon Bridges says it will be a great chance to get the Government's perspective on the American relationship.  

He told Mike Hosking that Trump’s win is hugely consequential, and it’s not enough for the Government to simply say they’ll wait and see. 

Bridges believes there can be some optimism though, as New Zealand is generally good at riding the waves and trade with the US flourished after Trump ripped up the CPTPP during his last term. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The United States Business Summit is on today. Here could
be interesting trade, security, foreign policy as you would expect,
that's the order of the day. The Aukland Business Chamber
of CEO Simon Bridges is whether Simon, how are you hey.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Morning, Mike? And not could be interesting? It will be
interesting Mike by definition, good sprouk.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Are you going to talk? How many times in the
day will the word Trump be used? Do you think?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
You know this is New Zealand's It wouldn't surprise me
if people at a level find ways and euphemisms for that.
But I mean I think, you know, let's think about it.
It couldn't be at a level A better time for
a summit like this is hugely consequential. I mean, he
won big, he's got the Congress, as you say, he
can put in w w F stars if he wants,

(00:45):
and the geopolitics is immense. So I mean what I'm
looking forward to seeing is really how the government plays that.
We've got Prime Minister Laxin and Trade Minister Todd McCay
coming along. How they going to play it on tariffs?
And you know, I don't think it's good enough and say, well,
we need to wait and see. Actually, you know, if
you think about it, Winston was born for a time

(01:06):
such as this. I mean, this is the guy who
has had a policy platform that's broadly similar to what
we see from a new administration. Looks safer and probably
more sanitized. But you know, can he can Todd McLay,
who's a widely operator, get over there and really work
the angles on tariffs or at least if not get
rid of them, you know, get us favorable treatment on

(01:27):
these things. But these are sort of things I think
we'll be able to delve into and get offense off.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Are you trepidacious in general? I mean, how much of
what you think might happen will happen from America's point
of view?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, I hope, I hope you know by now I'm
something of a contrarian. So you know, I think that
the general view in New Zealand is, look, this is
this is absolutely terrible. It's catastrophe. Could there be anything
worse than they can be? Wrong? When I talk about
tariffs and multi lateralism and how President Trump plays a
bunch of things, you know, there's definitely concerns to be

(01:58):
to be had there. But I think it's going to
be rather maybe you know glass half well, I think
it can be rather better than that. As I say,
I think New Zealand personally is good at riding the
waves and working the angles. And I think what's also true,
just think about this. When Trump got in last time,
the first thing he did in trade was he ripped
up CPTPP, which is our one chance of getting an

(02:20):
FTA with them. But if you what happened in New
Zealand American trade, well, it flourished actually from a bunch
of primary sectors that we'd always done well, and we
were in rockets. We're in a bunch of other eurospace
and technology deg text stuff and we've seen the numbers
grow actually almost exponentially. So personally, I think we can

(02:41):
have some optimism about this. I think what's true is
that it can definitely be rather better than the critics
in New Zealand may think.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
I like your style, you go well, I'm enjoy it.
Simon bridges Auckland, a business chamber ce own.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
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