NAICS 325520

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the OMB-sponsored standard for organizing establishments so federal statistical programs can collect, analyze, and publish U.S. business economy data. Developed jointly with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s statistical agency and adopted in 1997, NAICS enables cross-country comparability; the current U.S. statistical vintage in use is 2022. ⁴

NAICS 325520 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing adhesives, glues, and caulking compounds. Federal datasets and classifications use this industry code to tabulate outputs and structure analyses for the paint, coating, and adhesive segment; official cross-references place caulking compounds and sealants here, while certain asphalt- and gypsum-based materials are classified elsewhere. ¹

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 325520 overview
• G2X — NAICS 325510
• G2X — PSC 8040

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing of adhesives. ¹
• Manufacturing of glues. ¹
• Manufacturing of caulking compounds. ¹
• Manufacturing of sealants (classified here per cross-reference from paint/coating manufacturing). ¹
• Plastics-based adhesive manufacturing (classified here via cross-reference from plastics resin industries). ¹
• Rubber-based adhesive manufacturing (classified here via cross-reference from synthetic rubber industries). ¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	325510	Paint and Coating Manufacturing; excludes caulking compounds and sealants (which map to 325520). 1
NAICS	324122	Asphalt Shingle and Coating Materials Manufacturing; includes asphalt/tar roofing cements made from purchased asphalt, not in 325520. 1
PSC	8040	Adhesives (product class used in procurement reporting). 2
PSC	8030	Preservative and Sealing Compounds (related to sealant materials). 2

Key cross-references and exclusions (official)

• Caulking compounds and sealants are classified in 325520, not in 325510. ¹
• Asphalt and tar roofing cements made from purchased asphaltic materials belong in 324122, not in 325520. ¹
• Gypsum-based caulking compounds belong in 327420, not in 325520. ¹
• Plastics adhesives and rubber adhesives are both classified under 325520 per cross-references from resin and synthetic rubber industries. ¹

Frequently asked questions

• What does NAICS 325520 include?
  Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing adhesives, glues, and caulking compounds. Official cross-references also place sealants in this industry, even when based on plastics or rubber formulations, which are routed here from related materials industries. ¹

• How is 325520 different from 325510?
  325510 covers paints and coatings. Caulking compounds and sealants are explicitly classified under 325520 and excluded from 325510 by official cross-reference notes. ¹

• Which PSCs commonly align with adhesive buys?
  Product purchases often appear under 8040 (Adhesives) and 8030 (Preservative and Sealing Compounds). Agencies use these PSCs in FPDS and related reporting to identify the type of product procured. ²

• When will federal statistics fully use the 2022 NAICS vintage for this industry?
  The Census Bureau began publishing detailed statistics on a 2022 NAICS basis with the 2022 Economic Census and plans to transition most NAICS-based programs to the 2022 vintage by the end of 2027. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 325520 Adhesive Manufacturing: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/325520
• U.S. Census NAICS 325520 industry description (official definition and cross-references). ¹
• Census: Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and scope). ³
• GSA Product and Service Code Manual (PSC classes including 8040 and 8030). ²

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 31–33 (Manufacturing) industry definitions (includes 325520 Adhesive Manufacturing and cross-references): https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
2. Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement PGI — FSC/PSC listing (includes 8030 Preservative and Sealing Compounds and 8040 Adhesives): https://www.acquisition.gov/dfarspgi/pgi-part-208-required-sources-supplies-and-services
3. 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
4. U.S. Census Bureau — Classifying Businesses (history of NAICS adoption under OMB and tri-national development): https://www.census.gov/about/history/historical-censuses-and-surveys/census-programs-surveys/economic/classifying-businesses.html