NAICS 313110

Overview

Federal statistical programs classify business establishments using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to organize economic data consistently across the U.S. economy. NAICS was created under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and adopted in 1997, replacing the SIC system; it is maintained jointly with Canada and Mexico to promote cross‑country comparability. The current structure supports publication of statistics using the 2022 NAICS vintage. ¹

Under the 2022 structure, NAICS 313110 covers the preparation and spinning of fibers into yarn; the manufacture of thread; and the texturizing, throwing, twisting, spooling, and winding of purchased yarns or man‑made fiber filaments. ²

What this NAICS covers

NAICS 2022 industry 313110 encompasses establishments whose primary business is making fiber-based intermediate inputs—yarn and thread—through fiber preparation and spinning, and through further handling or modification of purchased yarns and man‑made filaments. Businesses here convert natural or man‑made fibers into yarns of various counts and constructions and manufacture thread for sewing and other uses; they also perform value‑adding operations (e.g., texturizing, throwing, twisting, spooling, and winding) on purchased yarns or filaments to meet downstream specifications for knitting, weaving, sewing, or industrial applications.

Covered activities include:

• Preparing fibers (e.g., opening, cleaning, blending, carding, combing) and spinning them into staple yarns suitable for downstream textile processes. This includes production of single and plied yarns intended for apparel, home furnishings, and industrial textiles.
• Manufacturing thread, including sewing, embroidery, and industrial thread, produced by combining, twisting, finishing, and packaging yarns specifically for stitching and related uses.
• Modifying purchased yarns or man‑made fiber filaments by texturizing (to impart bulk or stretch), throwing, twisting, doubling, reeling, spooling, and winding to create specific physical properties, counts, or package formats required by converters and mills.
• Operating as standalone yarn‑handling houses (e.g., texturizers, throwsters, winders) that do not produce fiber but transform purchased yarns/filaments into higher‑value forms for customers in knitting, weaving, braiding, or sewing supply chains.
• Producing yarns from a wide range of inputs, including natural fibers and man‑made fibers, when the establishment’s principal outputs are yarn or thread rather than fabric or finished textile goods.

Typical examples of primary establishments in 313110 include:

• Cotton, wool, or other staple fiber spinning mills producing singles or plied yarns for apparel and home textiles.
• Sewing and embroidery thread manufacturers supplying packaged thread on spools, cones, or other units to apparel, footwear, upholstery, and industrial users.
• Texturizing and throwing operations for man‑made filament yarns to produce stretch, bulked, or high‑tenacity yarns tailored to specific end uses.
• Yarn twisting and doubling mills converting singles into multi‑ply constructions with specified twist levels, strengths, and hand characteristics.
• Winding, reeling, and spooling services that condition yarn onto specific package types and densities for efficient use in knitting and weaving processes.

Product forms within scope of 313110 span:

• Staple fiber yarns (carded or combed/worsted) across a range of counts and blends, engineered for knitting or weaving.
• Filament yarns that have been thrown, twisted, or texturized to adjust luster, bulk, elongation, and processing performance.
• Threads designed for stitch formation—often lubricated, dyed, finished, and precision‑wound for consistent tension and sewability.

Supply‑chain position and outputs:

• Establishments here generally sell to knit fabric mills, woven fabric mills, narrow fabric producers, industrial textile producers, sewing contractors, and distributors of yarns and threads.
• Outputs are intermediate goods; firms in this industry do not primarily produce fabrics or finished textile products. Their value lies in converting fiber into yarn/thread and engineering yarn properties and packages to specification for downstream manufacturing.

Operational characteristics commonly seen in 313110:

• Integrated mills that both spin fibers and manufacture thread or perform texturizing/throwing in‑house.
• Contract processors specializing in a subset of operations (e.g., only texturizing or only twisting/winding) using purchased yarns or filaments.
• Quality control focused on yarn count, twist per inch, tensile strength, elongation, hairiness, finish, dye affinity, and package build—attributes that determine performance in subsequent textile processes.

In short, 313110 covers the upstream transformation of fibers and purchased yarns/filaments into yarn and thread forms with the physical properties, finishes, and package configurations required by fabric mills, sewing operations, and other textile manufacturers. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

• NAICS 313210 — Broadwoven Fabric Mills: Use when the establishment primarily weaves broadwoven fabrics from yarns, rather than producing yarn/thread or modifying purchased yarns. ³

• NAICS 313220 — Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery: For establishments making narrow fabrics (e.g., tapes, webbing) or Schiffli machine embroidery; not for yarn/thread manufacturing. ⁴

• NAICS 313230 — Nonwoven Fabric Mills: Applies to forming nonwoven fabrics directly from fibers or filaments; spinning yarn or producing thread is outside this code. ⁵

• NAICS 313240 — Knit Fabric Mills: Select when the primary activity is knitting fabrics from yarns, not spinning yarn/thread or texturizing/throwing purchased filaments. ⁶

• NAICS 314910 — Textile Bag and Canvas Mills: For manufacturing textile bags, canvas, and related products; establishments here purchase yarn/fabric inputs rather than producing yarn/thread. ⁷

• NAICS 314994 — Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills: Use when the principal output is rope, cordage, twine, or tire cord/fabrics; yarn/thread production is incidental if present. ⁸

• NAICS 325220 — Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing: Covers chemical manufacturing of man‑made fibers/filaments, upstream of yarn/thread mills that spin or finish those fibers. ⁹

• PSC 8310 — Yarn and Thread: Primary PSC for procurement of sewing, embroidery, industrial thread, and yarn packages; aligns directly with outputs of yarn and thread mills. ¹⁰

• PSC 8305 — Textile Fabrics: For woven/knit fabrics and similar sheet goods; use when procuring fabric rather than yarn/thread. ¹¹

• PSC 8315 — Notions and Apparel Findings: Includes zippers, tapes, bindings, and similar findings; adjacent to thread purchases but distinct from yarn/thread supplies. ¹²

• PSC 8320 — Padding and Stuffing Materials: For batting, fiberfill, and similar materials; not used for yarn/thread even when fiber composition overlaps. ¹³

Frequently asked questions

• What does NAICS 313110 cover? NAICS 313110 covers preparing and spinning fibers into yarn; manufacturing thread; and texturizing, throwing, twisting, spooling, and winding purchased yarns or man‑made fiber filaments used by downstream fabric and sewing operations. ²

• Are texturizing, throwing, and twisting of purchased filament yarns in scope for 313110? Yes. Establishments that modify purchased yarns or man‑made fiber filaments (e.g., by texturizing, throwing, twisting, spooling, or winding) are included when those activities are their primary business. ²

• Does 313110 include fabric weaving or knitting? No. Weaving belongs in NAICS 313210 and knitting in NAICS 313240; 313110 focuses on yarn and thread, not fabric production. ²

• Is chemical manufacturing of man‑made fibers covered by 313110? No. Manufacturing artificial and synthetic fibers or filaments is classified under NAICS 325220; 313110 begins downstream with fiber preparation, spinning, and handling of purchased yarns/filaments. ⁹

• What PSC aligns with federal purchases of yarn and thread from 313110 firms? PSC 8310 (Yarn and Thread) is the primary match for procuring sewing thread, embroidery thread, industrial thread, and yarn packages. ¹⁰

Useful resources

• Official NAICS 2022 entry for NAICS 313110: Authoritative definition, industry description, examples, and cross‑references useful for determining in‑scope activities such as spinning, thread manufacturing, and texturizing/throwing/twisting purchased filaments. ²
• PSC alignment for federal buys: PSC 8310 (Yarn and Thread) provides the closest procurement mapping to the outputs of NAICS 313110 establishments. ¹⁰
• SBA size standards: Use the SBA Table of Size Standards to verify the current small business threshold associated with NAICS 313110 before setting or responding to set‑asides. ¹⁴
• Boundary check — chemical fiber/filament manufacturing: Establishments primarily producing artificial or synthetic fibers/filaments belong in NAICS 325220, not NAICS 313110. ⁹
• Boundary check — nonwovens: Forming nonwoven fabrics directly from fibers or filaments is classified under NAICS 313230, outside the scope of yarn/thread manufacturing in NAICS 313110. ⁵
• Boundary check — rope/cordage and tire cord: If an establishment’s primary outputs are rope, cordage, twine, tire cord, or tire fabrics, use NAICS 314994 instead of NAICS 313110. ⁸
• Practical scoping aid: The Census NAICS page for NAICS 313110 includes index terms and cross‑references (e.g., “texturizing,” “throwing,” “twisting,” “spooling,” “winding”) that help validate whether a given establishment’s primary activity fits this industry. ²

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) — Homepage. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills — 313110). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=313110&year=2022
3. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Broadwoven Fabric Mills — 313210). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=313210&year=2022
4. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery — 313220). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=313220&year=2022
5. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Nonwoven Fabric Mills — 313230). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=313230&year=2022
6. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Knit Fabric Mills — 313240). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=313240&year=2022
7. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Textile Bag and Canvas Mills — 314910). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=314910&year=2022
8. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills — 314994). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=314994&year=2022
9. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 search result (Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing — 325220). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=325220&year=2022
10. PSC Tool. Yarn and Thread — 8310. https://psctool.us/psc/8310
11. PSC Tool. Textile Fabrics — 8305. https://psctool.us/psc/8305
12. PSC Tool. Notions and Apparel Findings — 8315. https://psctool.us/psc/8315
13. PSC Tool. Padding and Stuffing Materials — 8320. https://psctool.us/psc/8320
14. U.S. Small Business Administration. Table of Size Standards. https://www.sba.gov/size-standards