NAICS 326160

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the framework federal statistical agencies use to categorize business establishments for collecting, analyzing, and publishing data about the U.S. economy. Developed under Office of Management and Budget oversight, it replaced the SIC in 1997 and is jointly maintained with Canada and Mexico to preserve cross-country comparability; the current vintage is 2022. ¹

U.S. Industry NAICS 326160 (Plastics Bottle Manufacturing) consists of establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing plastic bottles; plastic containers other than bottles are classified elsewhere. ²

Agencies and statistical programs implement NAICS 2022 on a published Census Bureau timeline. ⁵

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 326160 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/326160
• G2X — NAICS 326199 (All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing)
• G2X — PSC 8125 (Bottles and Jars)

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing of plastic bottles as the primary product of the establishment. ²
• Production aligned with plastics product manufacturing processes within NAICS 326 (e.g., blow molding and related methods converting plastic resins into final bottles). ²
• Market or end-use segmentation for bottles (consumer, industrial, institutional) is not specified by official sources. ²
• Excludes manufacturing of plastic containers other than bottles; those establishments fall under NAICS 326199. ²
• Excludes manufacturing of glass bottles/containers, which is classified under NAICS 327213 (Glass Container Manufacturing). ²
• Included within the broader plastics and rubber products subsector NAICS 326, which converts new or recycled resins into intermediate or final products. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	326199	All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (plastic containers except bottles). 2
NAICS	327213	Glass Container Manufacturing (glass packaging containers). 2
PSC	8125	Bottles and Jars (Federal Supply Class 8125). 3

SBA small business size standard (how it is applied)

SBA assigns small business size standards by NAICS; the current threshold for NAICS 326160 is available in SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards. Contracting officers designate the applicable NAICS for each acquisition consistent with SBA regulations. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What activities qualify under NAICS 326160?
  Establishments primarily making plastic bottles belong in this industry. Plastic containers other than bottles are classified under NAICS 326199. Glass containers are in NAICS 327213. ²

• What PSC is typically associated with plastic bottle supply buys?
  PSC 8125 (Bottles and Jars) covers bottles and jars commodities and is used in federal product categorization. Final PSC selection depends on the specific item being purchased. ³

• Did the 2022 NAICS update change NAICS 326160?
  Census implemented NAICS 2022 on a scheduled timeline; specific change details for this industry are not identified on the implementation page. Not specified by official sources. ⁵

• Where is the small business size standard for NAICS 326160?
  SBA publishes the official thresholds in its Table of Small Business Size Standards, which contracting officers and offerors reference for eligibility. The table reflects current effective standards and is the authoritative source. ⁴

• How is NAICS maintained and why does the vintage matter?
  NAICS is reviewed and revised about every five years by OMB’s Economic Classification Policy Committee with Canadian and Mexican counterparts to ensure industry comparability. The 2022 vintage is the current structure used in federal economic statistics and related applications. ¹

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 326160 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/326160
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 326160 (Plastics Bottle Manufacturing) description and cross-references. ²
• U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of NAICS 2022 (timeline and program adoption). ⁵
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (NAICS-based thresholds). ⁴
• U.S. Census Bureau — 2017 NAICS Manual (official NAICS definitions and background). ¹

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau. 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Manual. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2017/econ/2017-naics-manual.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 Search — 326160 Plastics Bottle Manufacturing. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=326160&year=2022
3. Acquisition.gov. Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
4. U.S. Small Business Administration. Table of Small Business Size Standards. https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards
5. U.S. Census Bureau. NAICS 2022 Implementation Timeline. https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html