<P> Metrication (or metrification) is the process of introducing the International System of Units, also known as SI units or the metric system, to replace a jurisdiction's traditional measuring units . Although all U.S. customary units have been redefined in terms of SI units, as of 2017 the United States is one of only three countries, including Myanmar (Burma) and Liberia, that have not officially adopted the metric system as the primary means of weights and measures . </P> <P> Although customary units are used more often than metric units in the U.S., the SI system is used extensively in some fields such as science, medicine, the military, automobile production and repair, and international affairs . Post 1994 federal law also mandates most packaged consumer goods be labeled in both customary and metric units . Yet, most Americans are not able to make metric conversions . There exist, however, conversion apps on major smartphone platforms like iOS and Android that can help a person make the necessary conversions . </P> <P> Although the Constitution grants Congress the authority to determine standards of measure, it was not until 1832 that the customary system of units was formalized . In the early 19th century, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the government's surveying and map - making agency, used meter and kilogram standards brought from France . Shortly after the American Civil War, the 39th United States Congress protected the use of the metric system in commerce with the Metric Act of 1866 and supplied each state with a set of standard metric weights and measures . In 1875 the United States solidified its commitment to the development of the internationally recognized metric system by becoming one of the original seventeen signatory nations to the Metre Convention, also known as the Treaty of the Metre . The signing of this international agreement concluded five years of meetings in which the metric system was reformulated, refining the accuracy of its standards . The Metre Convention established the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau international des poids et mesures, BIPM) in Sèvres, France, to provide standards of measurement for worldwide use . </P> <P> Under the Mendenhall Order in 1893, metric standards, developed through international cooperation under the auspices of BIPM, were adopted as the fundamental standards for length and mass in the United States . The definitions of United States customary units, such as the foot and pound, have been based on metric units since then . </P>

When did the us try to convert to metric
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