NAICS 313230

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the framework federal statistical agencies use to categorize business establishments for producing economic statistics on the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was created jointly by the U.S. Economic Classification Policy Committee, Statistics Canada, and Mexico’s INEGI to support comparability across North America; the current vintage is 2022. ¹ The Census Bureau is implementing 2022 NAICS across programs through 2027. ²

NAICS 313230 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing nonwoven fabrics and felts by bonding or interlocking fibers using mechanical, chemical, thermal, solvent, or combined processes. It sits in Subsector 313 (Textile Mills) within Manufacturing and is distinct from weaving, knitting, or fabric coating industries classified elsewhere. ³

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 313230 overview
• G2X — NAICS 313320 (Fabric Coating Mills)
• G2X — NAICS 314110 (Carpet and Rug Mills)

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing nonwoven fabrics and felts as the primary output. ³
• Fiber web formation and consolidation via mechanical means (e.g., bonding/interlocking). ³
• Chemical bonding processes applied to fiber webs to produce nonwovens. ³
• Thermal bonding processes used to make nonwoven fabrics. ³
• Solvent-based bonding processes or combinations of methods to create nonwovens. ³
• Operations organized as textile mills where nonwoven fabric production is the primary activity. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	313230	Nonwoven Fabric Mills
NAICS	313320	Fabric Coating Mills
NAICS	313210	Broadwoven Fabric Mills
PSC	8305	Textile Fabrics

NAICS position and boundaries

• Placement in NAICS: Sector 31–33 (Manufacturing) → Subsector 313 (Textile Mills) → Industry Group 31323 → 313230. ³
• Exclusions: weaving broadwoven fabrics are classified in 313210; knitting is classified in 31324; coating or impregnating fabrics is classified in 313320. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities define NAICS 313230?

  • Establishments manufacture nonwoven fabrics and felts by bonding or interlocking fibers using mechanical, chemical, thermal, solvent, or combined processes. This industry is within Textile Mills and is distinct from weaving or knitting activities. ³

• How is NAICS maintained and when was it adopted?

  • NAICS was adopted in 1997 under OMB, developed with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI, and is reviewed on a five-year cycle. The latest vintage is 2022, which the Census Bureau is implementing across programs. ¹

• Is 2022 the current NAICS vintage used for statistics?

  • Yes. The Census Bureau began publishing data on a 2022 NAICS basis with 2022 Economic Census releases in 2024 and plans full adoption across programs by the end of 2027. ²

• Are specific end products like disposable masks explicitly listed under 313230?

  • Not specified by official sources. ³

• Which PSC aligns with purchases of nonwoven fabrics?

  • Agencies often record purchases of textile fabrics under PSC 8305 “Textile Fabrics,” per the Product and Service Code Manual; PSCs classify what is bought, while NAICS classifies the producer’s industry. ⁴

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 313230 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau: NAICS Subsector 313 and industry page for 313230 (definition, structure). ³
• Census: Classifying Businesses (history of NAICS and adoption under OMB). ¹
• Census: Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and vintage details). ²

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — Classifying Businesses (history and NAICS adoption). https://www.census.gov/about/history/historical-censuses-and-surveys/census-programs-surveys/economic/classifying-businesses.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS. https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS Sector 31–33, Subsector 313, including 313230 Nonwoven Fabric Mills. https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
4. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual (FY 2025), PSC 8305 Textile Fabrics. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual