If NZ is relying on manufacturing its going to get its butt kicked.
Its still preliminary, but here is what I see. Malaysia and Singapore are going to go KABOOOOOM on the economic front. Its going to be the hub of Asian manufacturing. They are centrally located near Vietnam, India, and also have access to China and of course Indonesia.
Free trade with Singapore? Wow. Australia is going to get in on that deal also.
,,, yes and no. New Zealand can't compete on volume but it leads in a few categories of niche production, both on cost competitiveness and quality even when most of it's markets are at the other end of the globe.
The US can no longer rely on manufacturing as much as it did. Stanley tools and Buicks are made in China now and they're just two examples.