NAICS 331523

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the government-wide standard for grouping U.S. business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of economic statistics. Created by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and first adopted in 1997, NAICS is maintained jointly by U.S., Canadian, and Mexican statistical agencies; the current classification vintage is 2022. ¹
NAICS 331523 designates “Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries” as a U.S. national industry. Within the foundries industry group, die-casting involves introducing molten nonferrous metal under high pressure into dies to produce castings; extensive machining that transforms castings into finished products is classified elsewhere. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 331523 overview
• G2X — NAICS 331524 Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting)
• G2X — NAICS 331529 Other Nonferrous Metal Foundries (except Die-Casting)

What this NAICS covers

• High-pressure die-casting of nonferrous metals to produce near-net-shape castings. ²
• Foundry operations that use purchased nonferrous metals rather than producing primary metal. ²
• Casting work performed in stand-alone or integrated secondary smelting-and-casting facilities. ²
• Routine finishing of die-cast parts at the foundry, such as cleaning and deburring. ²
• Production of nonferrous die-cast components sold as inputs to downstream manufacturing, with further transformation classified to the finished product industry. ²
• Establishments organized primarily around die-casting processes rather than the end-use market for the part. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	331511	Iron Foundries. 2
NAICS	331513	Steel Foundries (except Investment). 2
NAICS	331524	Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting). 2
NAICS	331529	Other Nonferrous Metal Foundries (except Die-Casting). 2

Scope notes and cross-references

• Foundries may clean and deburr castings they produce; extensive machining (e.g., tapping, threading, tight-tolerance milling) that transforms castings into finished products is classified by the finished product industry. ²
• Aluminum castings made by pouring (not die-casting) fall under NAICS 331524; other nonferrous castings made by pouring (not die-casting) are in NAICS 331529. ²
• Ferrous metal castings are classified to NAICS 331511 (iron) or NAICS 331513 (steel, except investment). ²

2022 NAICS implementation status

Federal economic programs are transitioning to 2022 NAICS through 2027. The Economic Census began publishing data on the 2022 basis in 2024; program documentation notes that some codes and titles were updated in 2022 to improve data usability. ³

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are included under NAICS 331523?
  Establishments primarily perform nonferrous die-casting—introducing molten nonferrous metal under high pressure into dies—and may perform foundry-level finishing like cleaning and deburring. Broad machining that turns castings into finished products is classified by the product’s industry. ²

• How does NAICS 331523 relate to NAICS 331524 and NAICS 331529?
  NAICS 331523 covers die-casting of nonferrous metals. Aluminum foundries using non–die-casting methods are classified in 331524, while other nonferrous foundries (except die-casting) are in 331529. ²

• Are machining, tapping, threading, or tight‑tolerance milling included here?
  Foundries may clean and deburr their castings, but processes that transform castings into finished products (e.g., precision machining) are classified elsewhere in manufacturing based on the final product. ²

• What NAICS vintage applies today and when will programs fully use it?
  The current vintage is 2022. The Census Bureau began publishing on the 2022 basis with the 2022 Economic Census and plans to transition most NAICS-based programs to 2022 by the end of 2027. ³

Useful resources

• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022 search and overview. ¹
• U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and change notes). ³
• U.S. Census Bureau — Nonemployer Statistics: 2022 NAICS descriptions reference file (official code titles). ⁴
• U.S. Census Bureau — Foundries industry group scope and cross-references (manufacturing sector). ²

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS — 2022 search and introduction page. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=ec&year=2022
2. U.S. Census Bureau, Manufacturing (Sector 31–33) — Foundries industry group definitions and cross-references (archival NAICS content). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau, The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and program adoption). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics — Industry Reference Files (2022 NAICS Descriptions link). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/technical-documentation/reference/naics-descriptions.html