NAICS 212230

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard used to classify business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS is jointly maintained by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to support comparable industry data across North America. The current vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 212230 covers establishments primarily engaged in developing mine sites, mining, and/or beneficiating ores valued chiefly for their copper, nickel, lead, or zinc content, including transforming ores into concentrates. Primary smelting or refining is excluded and classified under nonferrous metal smelting and refining industries (manufacturing), not mining. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 212230 overview
• G2X — NAICS 212210 — Iron Ore Mining
• G2X — NAICS 212220 — Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining

What this NAICS covers

• Mine site development for copper, nickel, lead, and zinc ore deposits, prior to extraction. ²
• Open-pit or underground extraction of copper, nickel, lead, and zinc ores. ²
• Beneficiation and preparation of these ores, including production of concentrates. ²
• Onsite ore handling and preparation associated with copper, nickel, lead, and zinc mining activities. ²
• Operations where value is chiefly derived from copper, nickel, lead, or zinc content. ²
• Contract or fee-based mining/beneficiation of these metal ores when performed by mining operators. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	212210	Iron Ore Mining. 2
NAICS	212220	Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining. 2
PSC	9610	Ores (bulk materials such as lead, zinc, precious metal, and other metal ores). 3
PSC	9620	Minerals, Natural and Synthetic (bulk mineral substances). 3

Small business size standard

The SBA small business size standard for NAICS 212230 is 1,400 employees (effective March 17, 2023). ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall within NAICS 212230?

  • Establishments develop mine sites, extract copper, nickel, lead, and zinc ores, and beneficiate them (e.g., crushing, grinding, concentrating) into concentrates. Primary smelting and refining are excluded and classified in nonferrous metal smelting and refining manufacturing industries, not in mining. ²

• How does NAICS 212230 differ from NAICS 212210 and NAICS 212220?

  • The distinction is by primary metal content. NAICS 212230 covers copper, nickel, lead, or zinc ores. NAICS 212210 covers iron ore, and NAICS 212220 covers gold and silver ores. ²

• What is the SBA small business size standard for NAICS 212230?

  • The current size standard is 1,400 employees for this industry, as specified in SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards matched to NAICS (effective March 17, 2023). ⁴

• Which PSC codes commonly align with procurements in this industry?

  • Product procurements often align with PSC 9610 (Ores) and PSC 9620 (Minerals, Natural and Synthetic), depending on whether the requirement is for bulk ore or mineral substances. ³

• Where are official federal statistics for NAICS 212230 published?

  • The 2022 Economic Census publishes industry tables for Sector 21 (Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction). Data can be accessed via census tables and APIs, filtered by NAICS, including NAICS 212230. ⁵

Useful resources

• Census — NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (NAICS structure and use). ¹
• Census — NAICS 212230 definition and cross-references (official 2022 entry). ²
• Census — 2022 Economic Census industry tables for Sector 21 (data access). ⁵
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (current thresholds by NAICS). ⁴

References

1. Census. Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/understanding-naics.html
2. Census. NAICS 2022 — 212230 Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=212230&year=2022&details=212230
3. GSA Acquisition.gov. Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (Group 96 entries). https://origin-www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
4. SBA. Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
5. Census. 2022 Economic Census — Data Tables by Industry. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/tables/industry.html