North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Canada 2012

31-33 - Manufacturing

This sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in the chemical, mechanical or physical transformation of materials or substances into new products. These products may be finished, in the sense that they are ready to be used or consumed, or semi-finished, in the sense of becoming a raw material for an establishment to use in further manufacturing. Related activities, such as the assembly of the component parts of manufactured goods; the blending of materials; and the finishing of manufactured products by dyeing, heat-treating, plating and similar operations are also treated as manufacturing activities. Manufacturing establishments are known by a variety of trade designations, such as plants, factories or mills.

Manufacturing establishments may own the materials which they transform or they may transform materials owned by other establishments. Manufacturing may take place in factories or in workers' homes, using either machinery or hand tools.

Factoryless goods producers (FGPs) that completely outsource the transformation process but own the input materials are classified to the manufacturing sector. FGPs that completely outsource the transformation process but do not own the materials are classified to merchant wholesalers in Sector 41 Wholesale trade. These units are in fact buying the completed goods from the producer with the intention to resell it. These units may design the goods being manufactured, and may have some say in the manufacturing process.

Certain activities involving the transformation of goods are classified in other sectors. Some examples are post-harvest activities of agricultural establishments, such as crop drying; logging; the beneficiating of mineral ores; the production of structures by construction establishments; and various activities conducted by retailers, such as meat cutting and the assembly of products such as bicycles and computers.

Sales branches or offices (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products are included in Sector 41 Wholesale trade as merchant wholesalers.

325 - Chemical manufacturing

This subsector comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing chemicals and chemical preparations, from organic and inorganic raw materials.

• Exclusion(s)

  • field processing of crude petroleum and natural gas (See 211 Oil and gas extraction)
  • beneficiating mineral ores (See 212 Mining and quarrying (except oil and gas))
  • processing crude petroleum and coal (See 324 Petroleum and coal product manufacturing)
  • smelting and refining ores and concentrates (See 331 Primary metal manufacturing)

3251 - Basic chemical manufacturing

This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing chemicals, using basic processes such as thermal cracking and distillation. Chemicals produced in this industry group are usually separate chemical elements or separate chemically-defined compounds.

32518 - Other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing

This industry comprises establishments, not classified to any other industry, primarily engaged in manufacturing basic inorganic chemicals.

• Exclusion(s)

  • manufacturing nitrogenous and phosphoric fertilizers (See 32531 Fertilizer manufacturing)
  • manufacturing inorganic insecticidal, herbicidal and fungicidal preparations (See 325320 Pesticide and other agricultural chemical manufacturing)
  • manufacturing photographic chemicals (See 32599 All other chemical product manufacturing)
  • manufacturing alumina (See 33131 Alumina and aluminum production and processing)

325181 - Alkali and chlorine manufacturing^CAN

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing alkalies and chlorine, often using an electrolysis process.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • potassium hydroxide (i.e., caustic potash), manufacturing
  • sodium bicarbonate (i.e., baking soda), manufacturing
  • sodium carbonate (i.e., soda ash), manufacturing
  • sodium hydroxide (i.e., caustic soda), manufacturing

  All examples

• Exclusion(s)

  • mining and preparing alkalies (See 212396 Potash mining)
  • manufacturing industrial bleaches (See 325189 All other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing)
  • manufacturing household bleaches (See 325610 Soap and cleaning compound manufacturing)
  • manufacturing chlorine preparations for swimming pools (See 325999 All other miscellaneous chemical product manufacturing)

325189 - All other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing^CAN

This Canadian industry comprises establishments, not classified to any other Canadian industry, primarily engaged in manufacturing inorganic chemicals.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • ammonium chloride, manufacturing
  • bleaching agents, inorganic, manufacturing
  • carbides (e.g., boron, calcium, silicon, tungsten), manufacturing
  • carbon, bone and lamp black pigments, manufacturing
  • heavy water (i.e., deuterium oxide), manufacturing
  • hydrogen peroxide, manufacturing
  • iodine, crude or resublimed, manufacturing
  • potassium salts, manufacturing
  • radioactive elements, manufacturing
  • sulphides and sulphites, manufacturing
  • titanium dioxide, manufacturing
  • zinc oxide, manufacturing

  All examples