G 94-34

Contact:  Roger Rensberger         COMMERCE DEPARTMENT ADOPTS
          (301) 975-2762           NEW ACTION PLAN FOR METRIC
                                   TRANSITION

     The Commerce Department today announced a new action plan
that significantly advances the federal government's
transition to the metric system and will help U.S. companies
become more competitive in the global marketplace.

     Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown said, "Our new plan
will serve as a model for all federal agencies striving to
make the transition to metric.  The department's focus, as
well as the focus of the federal metric transition, is on
helping U.S. industry compete successfully in the global
marketplace, increase exports and create new jobs."

     The new action plan benefits from the experiences of the
39 federal agencies that are implementing metric transition
programs in accordance with a 1991 Executive Order.

     The Commerce Department has two primary metric
assignments:  lead and coordinate the metric transition
activities of all federal agencies, and convert programs and
functions within the department that relate to trade, industry
and commerce to metric use.  Metric terms will be used in
budgets, procurements, grants and loans, construction and
other business-related activities of the department.

     An agenda of specific tasks to be achieved by the federal
agencies makes up the first part of the metric action plan.
The second part has definite assignments, responsibilities,
and timetables for converting each of the operating units of
the Commerce Department to the metric system.

Specific actions will include:

>    The International Trade Administration will provide
     metric advice to U.S. companies seeking to export goods
     and services.

>    Commerce agencies will begin using internationally
     standard metric-sized paper.

>    The National Institute of Standards and Technology will
     establish an electronic bulletin board to provide more
     timely information on industry's use of the metric
     system.

     The department recently has made substantial progress
toward use of metric terms in its business-related activities.
For instance, a new NIST facilities plan will use the metric
system.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
is now using metric units in revisions of widely used nautical
charts.

     The leadership role of the Department of Commerce stems
from the 1991 Executive Order that designated the secretary of
commerce to direct and coordinate efforts by the federal
agencies to implement government metric usage.

     The mandate to use the metric system in Commerce
Department programs is the same one that was given to all
federal agencies when Congress in 1988 amended the Metric
Conversion Act of 1975.  At that time, Congress declared as
U.S. policy that the metric system is the preferred system of
weights and measures for trade and commerce.

     The National Institute of Standards and Technology, an
agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration,
administers the department's metric transition activities.
NIST also leads metric transition-related activities
throughout the federal government. The NIST program is headed
by Gary P. Carver, who chairs the federal Metrication
Operating Committee.  NIST also acts as secretariat to the
Interagency Council on Metric Policy, chaired by Commerce
Under Secretary for Technology Mary L. Good.

                                   -30-

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Copies of the new Department of Commerce
metric transition plan are available from the Metric Program,
A146 Building 411, NIST, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-0001, (301)
975-3690, fax:  (301) 948-1416.

4/12/94