NAICS 311212

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of U.S. economic statistics. Created by the Economic Classification Policy Committee with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI and adopted by OMB in 1997, current statistical programs publish on the 2022 NAICS vintage. ¹
NAICS 311212 Rice Milling covers establishments primarily engaged in milling rice; cleaning and polishing rice; or performing all three. Establishments classified here may also package the rice they mill with other ingredients. NAICS cross-references direct certain adjacent activities (e.g., mixing purchased dried ingredients with purchased rice) to other industries. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 311212 overview
• G2X — NAICS 3112 Grain and Oilseed Milling
• G2X — NAICS 31121 Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing

What this NAICS covers

• Milling of rough rice to remove husk and bran, producing brown or white rice. ²
• Cleaning and polishing of rice as standalone services or combined with milling. ²
• Integrated milling, cleaning, and polishing operations within the same establishment. ²
• Packaging of milled rice, including with other ingredients produced by the same establishment. ²
• Establishments primarily engaged in rice milling for food or industrial use. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	311211	Flour Milling (grains/vegetables other than rice). 2
NAICS	311423	Dried and Dehydrated Food Manufacturing (e.g., drying/dehydrating ingredients and packaging with purchased rice). 2
NAICS	311999	All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing (e.g., mixing purchased dried/dehydrated ingredients with purchased rice). 2
PSC	8920	Bakery and Cereal Products (includes flour, prepared cereals, macaroni; commonly used for cereal/grain food buys). 3

Industry hierarchy and scope notes

• Parent subsector and group: NAICS 3112 (Grain and Oilseed Milling) and NAICS 31121 (Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing). ²
• Permitted activity: establishments in NAICS 311212 may package the rice they mill with other ingredients. ²
• Boundary exclusions per Census cross‑references include drying/dehydrating ingredients and packaging with purchased rice, and mixing purchased dried ingredients with purchased rice, which classify outside this industry. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What activities define NAICS 311212 Rice Milling?
  Establishments primarily mill rice, clean and polish rice, or do both. The definition explicitly allows packaging of the rice they mill with other ingredients, provided the establishment performed the milling as part of its operations. ²

• Is packaging seasoned or blended rice included in NAICS 311212?
  Yes, if the establishment mills the rice and then packages it with other ingredients, it remains in this industry. If the establishment only mixes purchased dried/dehydrated ingredients with purchased rice, classification shifts to a different NAICS per Census cross‑references. ²

• What NAICS vintage is current for federal economic statistics?
  Federal statistical programs are publishing and transitioning to the 2022 NAICS vintage for Economic Census and related outputs, per U.S. Census guidance. ¹

• Which PSC is commonly associated with cereal/grain food purchases related to milled rice?
  PSC 8920 “Bakery and Cereal Products” covers cereal‑grain food items and is frequently used for these commodity buys; final PSC selection should align with the specific product being procured. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 311212
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 311212 Rice Milling (definition and cross‑references). ²
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS codes and 2022 vintage overview for Economic Census data users. ¹
• GSA — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (current edition). ³
• U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Economic Census Manufacturing (NAICS 31–33) data resources. ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau. Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (NAICS overview and 2022 vintage). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022 NAICS — 311212 Rice Milling (industry description and cross‑references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=311212&year=2022&details=311212
3. U.S. General Services Administration. Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (current edition). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
4. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022 Economic Census — Manufacturing (NAICS 31–33) data resources. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-31-33.html