NAICS 325991

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System is the federal standard for organizing establishments to produce comparable business statistics across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Developed under OMB leadership and first adopted in 1997, NAICS is updated on a five-year cycle; the current vintage is 2022. ¹
NAICS 325991 covers establishments primarily engaged in custom mixing and blending plastics resins made elsewhere, and in reformulating plastics resins from recycled plastics products. Establishments that manufacture synthetic resins and custom mix/blend those resins are classified under NAICS 325211, not in NAICS 325991. ²

See also on G2X:

• NAICS 325991 overview
• G2X — NAICS 325211 Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing
• G2X — NAICS 325998 All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing

What this NAICS covers

• Custom mixing and blending of purchased plastics resins (i.e., resins made elsewhere). ²
• Reformulation of plastics resins derived from recycled plastics products. ²
• Custom compounding services focused on intermediate resin materials rather than finished products. ²
• Contract or toll compounding using customer-specified formulations based on purchased resins. Not specified by official sources ².
• Establishments whose primary activity is compounding resins that they do not manufacture onsite. ²
• Activities classified in Manufacturing sector 31–33 specific to resin compounding, distinct from plastics product fabrication. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	325211	Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing
NAICS	3261	Plastics Product Manufacturing (industry group referenced for converting resins into products)
NAICS	325998	All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing
PSC	6810	Chemicals
PSC	9330	Plastic Fabricated Materials

Scope notes and cross-references

• Manufacturing synthetic resins (including operations that both make resins and custom blend them) is classified in NAICS 325211. ²
• Converting plastics resins into finished plastics products is classified in Industry Group NAICS 3261. ²
• The Census Bureau implements NAICS vintages in major economic programs; current disseminations are based on NAICS 2022. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are in NAICS 325991?
  Establishments primarily custom mix and blend plastics resins made elsewhere, or reformulate resins from recycled plastics products. The focus is on intermediate resin compounding rather than resin manufacturing or plastics product fabrication. ² See also on G2X: NAICS 325991 overview.

• How is NAICS 325991 different from NAICS 325211?
  If a firm manufactures the synthetic resin and also blends it, it belongs in 325211. Firms that do not manufacture resins but custom compound purchased resins fall under 325991. ²

• Are recycling-based compounding services included in NAICS 325991?
  Yes. Reformulating plastics resins from recycled plastics products is explicitly included in this industry’s definition. ²

• Do purchases under NAICS 325991 map to specific PSC codes?
  PSC selection depends on the product or service bought. Common product codes for chemicals and plastics include PSC 6810 (Chemicals) and PSC 9330 (Plastic Fabricated Materials), per the PSC Manual. ⁵

• Which NAICS vintage applies to current federal statistics for this industry?
  The Census Bureau is disseminating data on the 2022 NAICS basis and is transitioning remaining programs to NAICS 2022 by the end of calendar year 2027 (with limited exceptions). ³

Useful resources

• NAICS 325991 overview (G2X)
• Census NAICS definition for 325991 within Sector 31–33 (Manufacturing). ²
• Census: Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and program adoption). ³
• Census: 2022 NAICS descriptions (reference files). ⁴
• Economic Census — Data by industry (including Manufacturing sector tables). ⁶

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — About Industry: NAICS origins, five-year updates, and 2022 vintage noted. https://www.census.gov/topics/employment/industry-occupation/about/industry.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022: 325991 Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins (official definition and cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=325991&year=2022&details=325991
3. U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and overview). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — Industry Reference Files: 2022 NAICS Descriptions. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/technical-documentation/reference/naics-descriptions.html
5. General Services Administration — Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025. https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-manual-april-2025.pdf
6. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census by Industry (industry data tables, including Manufacturing). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/tables/industry.html