NAICS 332215

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the framework U.S. federal statistical programs use to classify establishments for economic data. Developed with Canada and Mexico under the Office of Management and Budget, NAICS replaced SIC in 1997; the current U.S. vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 332215 covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing nonprecious metal kitchen cookware, utensils, cutlery, and flatware. It resides within the Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing industry group, which explicitly includes metal kitchen utensils and pots and pans (excluding finished cast iron and simple stampings) and nonprecious/plated cutlery and flatware. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacture of metal pots and pans (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum), excluding finished cast iron cookware. ²
• Manufacture of non-cutting metal kitchen utensils (e.g., ladles, spatulas, strainers). ²
• Manufacture of nonprecious metal cutlery (e.g., kitchen knives) and plated flatware. ²
• Manufacture of nonprecious metal table flatware (e.g., forks, spoons, serving pieces). ²
• Finishing/fabrication steps beyond simple stamping (e.g., forming, assembling, polishing) for covered products. ²
• Integrated production of cookware/utensil sets composed primarily of nonprecious metal. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Descriptors for PSC rows per the official Product and Service Code Manual. ⁸

Scope notes and exclusions

• Finished cast iron kitchen utensils (e.g., cast iron skillets) and castings for kitchen utensils, pots, and pans are classified to Industry Group 3315 (Foundries), not NAICS 332215. ²
• Precious-metal (non-plated) cutlery and flatware are outside NAICS 332215 and are treated under Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing per NAICS cross-references. ²
• Simple stampings without further fabrication are not in NAICS 332215. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What exactly does NAICS 332215 include?
  NAICS 332215 includes manufacturers of nonprecious metal kitchen cookware and utensils, and producers of nonprecious/plated cutlery and flatware. The industry excludes finished cast iron items and simple stampings without additional fabrication. ²

• Are cast iron pans part of NAICS 332215?
  No. Finished cast iron cookware and castings for cookware or utensils are assigned to Foundries (3315), not NAICS 332215, per NAICS cross-references. ²

• How are precious-metal flatware and cutlery treated?
  Items made of precious metals (except precious plated) fall under Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing rather than NAICS 332215. Precious-plated flatware remains in this industry. ²

• Where is federal data for NAICS 332215 published?
  The 2022 Economic Census disseminates NAICS-based statistics via data.census.gov, downloadable tables, FTP, and APIs. Manufacturing sector outputs include detailed tables covering NAICS 332215. ⁷

• What changed with the 2022 NAICS vintage for this area?
  Census implemented the 2022 NAICS across programs starting with the 2022 Economic Census, with broader adoption through 2027. Code-level change documentation is provided in the 2017–2022 NAICS changes resources. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 332215 overview
• Census: Economic Census — NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (overview of NAICS structure and usage). ⁵
• Census: Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (transition timeline and change files). ³
• Census LEHD: NAICS 2022 value labels (confirms the official title for 332215). ⁴
• Economic Census by Industry — Manufacturing sector tables. ⁶

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — Classifying Businesses (NAICS history and development). https://www.census.gov/about/history/historical-censuses-and-surveys/census-programs-surveys/economic/classifying-businesses.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022: 332215 details (scope, cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=332215&year=2022&details=332215
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 LEHD — Selected Codebook Value Labels (NAICS 2022 list including 332215 title). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/understanding-naics.html
6. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census by Industry (manufacturing sector tables). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/data/tables/industry.html
7. U.S. Census Bureau — How 2022 Economic Census Data Is Disseminated. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/how-2022-ecdata-disseminated.html
8. Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual