Metric Program Facts The Metric Program helps implement the national policy to establish the metric system as the preferred system of weights and measures for U.S. trade and commerce. It provides leadership and assistance on metric use and conversion to federal agencies, state and local governments, businesses, trade associations, standards organizations, and the educational community.
Implementing the 1988 amendments to the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 , the Metric Program coordinates the metric transition activities of all federal agencies. Executive Order 12770 , "Metric Usage in Federal Government Programs," issued in 1991, reaffirms the legislation by instructing federal agencies to implement formal plans for using the metric system and to report metric progress. The order authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to direct and coordinate the federal agency metric transition and to assess progress. The Program carries out the direction and coordination responsibilities of the Secretary of Commerce. Because of the metric system's importance as an international standard, its use in product design, manufacturing, marketing, and labeling is essential for U.S. industry's success in the global marketplace. The use of the metric system in federal agency programs relating to trade, industry, and commerce is intended to support industry's voluntary adoption of the metric system. Current Metric Program initiatives focus on education and public awareness to gain broad-based support for national metrication from industry and the general public. Under the banner
Toward a Metric America
, an ongoing series of information and public awareness campaigns have been conducted to build partnerships to create a more favorable environment for national metrication; accelerate adoption of the metric system in trade and commerce; and encourage metric system use in all facets of education, including the honing of worker skills.
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For technical questions concerning the Metric Program, contact us: Laws & Metric Group, Weights and Measures Division, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600
Phone: (301) 975-4004, Fax: (301) 975-8091, Email: TheSI@nist.gov
Date created: March 28, 2002
Date Last Modified: October 4, 2006
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