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Defence Minister Phil Goff says there would be no obstacle for a visit to New Zealand by a United States Coast Guard vessel, though none is planned in the foreseeable future.
He did not believe the New Zealand public or the Government would have a problem with a visit.
But he said the US was setting the pace for an improved relationship.
"If the invitation was requested by the United States we would most happily do that but we are allowing the United States to set the pace for those sort of arrangements. We are not trying to push the boundaries," he told the Herald.
"They are moving the boundaries ... out from where they may have been some time ago but they are doing it at a pace that is in accordance with their feelings on it."
He made the comments after announcing last week that two New Zealand naval officers had joined the crew of the US Coast Guard vessel Walnut for a fisheries protection operation in what will become an annual personnel exchange.
The US Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the US Navy, but it still falls within the ambit of the presidential directives that formed US reprisals against New Zealand for its ban on nuclear powered or armed ships.
Asked if he believed the New Zealand public would be ready to welcome a United States Coast Guard vessel, Mr Goff said there was a lot of respect for the Coast Guard .
"I don't think there would be any problem from a New Zealand point of view."
Last week's announcement followed one last month that six naval personnel would join the USS Peleliu, a naval vessel undertaking a humanitarian mission around the Pacific.
The United States also regularly issues itself waivers from the directives to participate in exercises under the Proliferation Security Initiative - against the transport of weapons of mass destruction - in which New Zealand also participates.
The continuing thaw follows a decision by the second Administration of President George W. Bush to step up co-operative initiatives with New Zealand, despite the ant-nuclear impasse.
The way visits work is that if the United States wanted one, it would request an invitation from New Zealand.
But as far as the United States is concerned, it is not ready to request any ship visits, even innocuous non-naval ones by the Coast Guard.
An embassy spokeswoman said in Wellington said: "We know this question comes up from time to time and there are no ship visits being considered.
"The US and New Zealand have been working together very successfully to enhance security in the regional particularly on maritime security and that is where we are focused.
"It's most productive to move forward and explore areas of possible co-operation rather than dwell on well-known differences."
