US removes rules for foreign scientists to study lab standards

The US Commerce Department is removing old rules that offered fellowships to foreign citizens for laboratory standardization and testing. These rules have not been used in decades, and no law requires them.

For decades, the US offered to train scientists from "other American republics" in its lab standards. This was a quiet way to spread US technical influence and ensure other countries adopted compatible systems. Removing these rules means the US is no longer formally investing in this kind of soft power through technical training.