NAICS 311710

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for grouping business establishments to collect, analyze, and publish economic statistics. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget with partners in Canada and Mexico, NAICS replaced the SIC in 1997 and is maintained on a five-year cycle; the current U.S. vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 311710 covers establishments primarily engaged in seafood product preparation and packaging, including canning (including seafood soups), smoking, salting, drying, eviscerating fish, shucking and packing shellfish, processing marine fats and oils, and freezing seafood. “Floating factory ships” that both gather and process seafood into canned products are included in this industry. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 311710 overview
• G2X — NAICS 114111 Finfish Fishing
• G2X — NAICS 424460 Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers

What this NAICS covers

• Canning seafood products, including seafood soups. ²
• Smoking, salting, or drying fish and other seafoods. ²
• Eviscerating and otherwise preparing fresh fish (e.g., removing heads, fins, scales, bones, entrails). ²
• Shucking and packing fresh shellfish. ²
• Processing marine fats and oils. ²
• Freezing seafood products. ²
• Gathering and processing on “floating factory ships” into canned seafood products. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	114111	Finfish Fishing
NAICS	114112	Shellfish Fishing
NAICS	424460	Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers

Boundary with fishing and wholesale activities

• Catching or taking fish/shellfish from natural habitats is classified in NAICS 114111 or NAICS 114112, not in NAICS 311710. ⁵
• Wholesaling fish and seafood without further transformation falls under NAICS 424460; processing activities (e.g., canning, freezing) place an establishment in NAICS 311710. ⁶

Common products and outputs (NAPCS)

The product scope for this industry aligns to 2022 NAPCS category “Prepared and processed fish and other seafood products,” which encompasses prepared, processed, and preserved seafood products typically produced by establishments in NAICS 311710. ³

SBA small business size standard

For federal contracting programs, the SBA small business size standard for NAICS 311710 is 750 employees (effective March 17, 2023), as listed in SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What operations qualify under NAICS 311710?

  • Qualifying operations include canning seafood (including soups), smoking, salting, drying, eviscerating fish, shucking and packing shellfish, processing marine fats and oils, and freezing products. Establishments operating as “floating factory ships” that both gather seafood and process it into canned products are also in scope. ²

• How is NAICS 311710 different from fishing NAICS codes?

  • Fishing activities that harvest finfish or shellfish from natural habitats are classified to NAICS 114111 or NAICS 114112. When the primary activity is transforming seafood (e.g., canning, freezing, smoking), the proper classification is NAICS 311710. ⁵

• Are “floating factory ships” in scope?

  • Yes. Establishments known as floating factory ships are explicitly included when they both gather seafood and process it into canned products. If the activity is limited to harvesting without processing, classification would fall under fishing industries rather than NAICS 311710. ²

• Does seafood wholesaling belong in NAICS 311710?

  • No. Merchant wholesaling of fish and seafood without further transformation is classified under NAICS 424460. If the establishment performs processing (such as canning, freezing, or smoking), it is classified to NAICS 311710. ⁶

• What is the SBA small business size threshold for NAICS 311710?

  • SBA sets the size standard for NAICS 311710 at 750 employees for small business eligibility in federal programs. Agencies apply this employee-based standard at the time of offer, aligned to SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards effective March 17, 2023. ⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 311710 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS main page and 2022 NAICS search. ¹
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging industry definition. ²
• U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAPCS Section 11 (Food, beverage, and tobacco products). ³
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS official site. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 311710 Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=311710&year=2022
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAPCS Structure, Section 11: Food, beverage, and tobacco products. https://www.census.gov/naics/napcs/sections/section11.html
4. U.S. Small Business Administration — 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. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS Sector 11 (Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting) overview and definitions. https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect11.html
6. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 424460 Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=424460&year=2022