The Dominican Republic is behind many nations in the region in the application of a law to standardize weights and measures according to the International System of Units (SI). Outside of the United States, most of the world is using this system. Law 166-12 passed in July 2012 creates the Dominican System of Quality and orders the use of the metric system for weight. Nevertheless, rice, beans, detergents and powdered milk, for example, are still sold in pounds.