§ 205a. Congressional statement of findings

The Congress finds as follows:

• (1) The United States was an original signatory party to the 1875 Treaty of the Meter ( 20 Stat. 709 ), which established the General Conference of Weights and Measures, the International Committee of Weights and Measures and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.
• (2) Although the use of metric measurement standards in the United States has been authorized by law since 1866 (Act of July 28, 1866 ; 14 Stat. 339 ), this Nation today is the only industrially developed nation which has not established a national policy of committing itself and taking steps to facilitate conversion to the metric system.
• (3) World trade is increasingly geared towards the metric system of measurement.
• (4) Industry in the United States is often at a competitive disadvantage when dealing in international markets because of its nonstandard measurement system, and is sometimes excluded when it is unable to deliver goods which are measured in metric terms.
• (5) The inherent simplicity of the metric system of measurement and standardization of weights and measures has led to major cost savings in certain industries which have converted to that system.
• (6) The Federal Government has a responsibility to develop procedures and techniques to assist industry, especially small business, as it voluntarily converts to the metric system of measurement.
• (7) The metric system of measurement can provide substantial advantages to the Federal Government in its own operations.