Reverse causality: From trade to geography in Samoa

Samoa has just announced plans to switch time zones, leaping 24 hours in the future. The reason is that its location is right on the international dateline in the Pacific, 180 degrees from Greenwich. More than a 100 years ago it had decided to be on the same day as the US to help business with Californian traders. But as more than 100 000 Samoans emigrated to Australia and New Zealand, business shifted west. And now it wants to switch to the west of the dateline. The Samoa prime minister explains why: "While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand and when we're at church on Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane." In other words, they would gain two days of business. Will this boost trade? Too endegenous to find out! Unless one has an idea for a good IV?

Source: The Guardian. ht: Lorenz and the bunk.