NAICS 423420

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments so agencies can collect, analyze, and publish statistics about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS is jointly maintained by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to enable cross-country comparability. The current vintage in use for Census economic programs is 2022. ¹

NAICS 423420 covers merchant wholesalers primarily engaged in distributing office machines and related equipment, excluding computers and computer peripheral equipment. Federal programs publish statistics for this code at the four-digit level within Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade), including in the Economic Census and the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 423420 overview
• G2X — NAICS 423430 (Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers)
• G2X — PSC 7490 (Miscellaneous Office Machines)

What this NAICS covers

• Merchant wholesale distribution of non-computer office machines and equipment such as accounting/calculating machines, typewriters, and dictation and transcribing machines. ³
• Wholesaling of visible record equipment, including manual or power-operated visible index files, control boards, and automated hard-copy storage/retrieval devices. ³
• Wholesaling of miscellaneous office machinery, e.g., addressing, mailing, check-handling, and coin/currency-handling machines. ³
• Wholesale-method sales serving business, institutional, and government customers from warehouses or offices rather than retail storefronts. ⁴
• Merchant wholesaler operations (buying and selling on own account), distinct from agents/brokers and retail establishments. ⁴
• Published federal statistics for this industry at the 4-digit NAICS level in wholesale trade datasets (e.g., Economic Census tables and AWTS). ⁵

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	423430	Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS	424120	Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS	811212	Computer and Office Machine Repair and Maintenance
PSC	7420	Accounting and Calculating Machines

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall under NAICS 423420?
  NAICS 423420 encompasses merchant wholesalers of office machines and related equipment, excluding computers and computer peripherals. It is part of Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) and is used across Census economic programs under the 2022 NAICS structure. ²

• How is NAICS 423420 different from NAICS 423430?
  NAICS 423430 covers computers, computer peripheral equipment, and software, while NAICS 423420 covers non-computer office machines. Titles for both codes are maintained by Census and appear in official code lists used by federal datasets. ⁶

• Are office supplies like paper and toner included in 423420?
  No. Stationery and office supplies distribution is classified under NAICS 424120. NAICS 423420 is limited to office machines and related equipment rather than consumable supplies. ⁶

• Where can official statistics for this industry be found?
  The Annual Wholesale Trade Survey and the Economic Census publish estimates for wholesale industries, including 4-digit NAICS categories in Sector 42. These resources provide national-level measures of sales, inventories, and operating expenses. ⁵

• Which PSCs commonly align with office machines for procurement?
  Product Service Codes in Group 74 apply, including PSC 7420 (accounting/calculating machines) and PSC 7490 (miscellaneous office machines). Service PSCs exist for installation, lease, and maintenance (e.g., N074, W074, J074). ³

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 423420 overview
• Census NAICS — introduction and search (2022 vintage available). ¹
• Census Economic Census — 2022 NAICS Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) data access page. ²
• Census — Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) overview and latest release notes. ⁵
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (April 2025). ³

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, North American Industry Classification System — NAICS search and overview. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS Sector 42 — Wholesale Trade (Economic Census data access). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-42.html
3. U.S. General Services Administration, Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (Group 74). https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
4. U.S. Census Bureau, Frequently Asked Questions — Wholesale (sector definition and characteristics). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/about/faq/faq-wholesale.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Wholesale Trade Survey — 2024 press release overview (NAICS 2–4 digit coverage). https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/annual-wholesale-trade-survey.html
6. U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Snapshot Documentation — Selected NAICS value labels (titles for 423420, 423430, 424120). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html