‘God’s Clock’

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Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador submitted a bill this week that would end daylight savings time in Mexico, a move that some economists warned could cause market disruptions, the Associated Press reported.

The bill would put an end to the practice of changing clocks twice a year: This year, Mexicans set their clocks ahead on April 3 and will set them back by the end of October. If the bill is approved, the changes would occur next year.

Officials said that Mexico should return to “God’s clock,” or standard time, explaining that the time shifts damage people’s health.

The shift would imply that central Mexican time, which covers the majority of the country, could be two hours behind the east coast of the United States permanently – it is currently one hour behind for most of the year.

Still, López Obrador said that he is considering keeping daylight savings time for some northern border states.

Analysts said the energy-saving impact of the law will be minimal but cautioned that going back to standard time could cause trouble for Mexican financial markets by putting American east coast markets so far ahead.