The influence of the United States on New Zealand weakened following protests over the Vietnam War, the refusal of the United States to admonish France after the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, disagreements over environmental and agricultural trade issues and New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.
美越战争引发了抗议，彩虹勇士号沉没后美国拒绝劝诫法国，再加上两国在环境和农业贸易上的分歧以及新西兰的无核政策，所有这些因素加起来削弱了美国对新西兰的影响。