The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Md., and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sèvres, France, have announced the establishment of an Internet database of international measurement standards. The action followed the quadrennial meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures in October 1999, where 38 nations agreed to mutually recognize their respective standards.

Companies and regulators can compare the measurement standards of national metrology institutes in other countries with those in their own. NIST director Ray Kammer said the ability to evaluate standards promotes trade by eliminating redundant product testing.