A survey of Japanese firms in the US has found many think the incoming Trump administration will be bad for business.

The Japan External Trade Organization conducted the poll this month ahead of the inauguration of President elect Donald Trump on Monday, and 260 firms took part.

More than 48 percent said they're still unsure how Trump's policies will impact them. But 25 percent said they expect the outcome will be bad. Roughly 14 percent are predicting a mixed picture, while just over 10 percent believe Trump's policies will help.

The companies were asked to nominate a policy that they think will affect their business, and 123 said tariffs. Out of those, 72 percent said they expect that tariffs will have a negative impact.

The director of JETRO's Americas Division, Ito Misako, said many Japanese companies seem to have learned their lesson from Trump's last term.

Ito said: "Some companies changed their supply chains during the first Trump administration. This time, more firms are taking a wait-and-see approach. They think they'll have time to react before any tariffs go into effect. In other words, there are fewer businesses that seem unsure what to do."

Ito said there's already a move among companies to switch suppliers or stockpile inventory in preparation for higher tariffs.