NAICS 325920

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for grouping business establishments to enable consistent collection, analysis, and publication of statistics about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget with counterparts in Canada and Mexico, it replaced SIC in 1997 and is updated on a five-year cycle, with the current vintage being 2022. ¹

NAICS 325920 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing explosives. Official cross-references clarify what is and is not included, notably distinguishing explosives manufacturing from small-arms and other ammunition manufacturing and from pyrotechnics. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 325920 overview
• G2X — NAICS 332992
• G2X — NAICS 332993

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing explosives as finished products. ²
• Manufacturing blasting caps. ²
• Manufacturing detonating caps. ²
• Manufacturing safety fuses. ²
• Establishments whose primary activity is explosives manufacturing, regardless of end use. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	332992	Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing 2
NAICS	332993	Ammunition (except Small Arms) Manufacturing 2
PSC	1375	Demolition Materials (e.g., blasting agents, caps, detonators, fuzes) 4
PSC	1376	Bulk Explosives (e.g., TNT, RDX compositions, solid propellants) 4

Official cross-references and exclusions

• Ammunition, ammunition detonators, and percussion caps are classified in 332992, not 325920. ²
• Ammunition (except small arms)—for products such as bombs, rockets (except guided missiles), grenades, mines, and torpedoes—is classified in 332993. ²
• Pyrotechnics (including fireworks, flares, and signal devices) are classified in 325998, not 325920. ²
• Guided missiles are classified in 336414, not 325920. ²

Census data context (2022 NAICS)

NAICS is revised every five years. Census programs began publishing statistics on the 2022 NAICS basis with selected 2024–2025 releases and will complete transition across programs by the end of 2027, with a few program exceptions scheduled later. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What does NAICS 325920 include?

  • It includes establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing explosives. Related items such as blasting and detonating caps and safety fuses are classified here per the official Census cross-references. ²

• How does NAICS 325920 differ from NAICS 332992 and 332993?

  • 332992 covers small-arms ammunition (including ammunition detonators and percussion caps); 332993 covers ammunition except small arms. Explosives manufacturing itself falls under 325920. ²

• Are fireworks and other pyrotechnics part of NAICS 325920?

  • No. Pyrotechnics, including fireworks and signal flares, are classified in 325998, not in 325920. ²

• Does NAICS 325920 address field blasting services or site mixing?

  • Not specified by official sources. Classification guidance defines the industry by manufacturing activity and does not discuss service delivery at blasting sites. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 325920 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 325920 (definition and cross-references). ²
• U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and program adoption). ³
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes Manual (PSC Manual). ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — About Industry (NAICS history and five-year updates): https://www.census.gov/topics/employment/industry-occupation/about/industry.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022: 325920 Explosives Manufacturing (official description and cross-references): https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=325920&year=2022&details=325920
3. U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (adoption timeline): https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
4. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes Manual (PSC Manual): https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC_Manual.pdf