NAICS 423510

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments, developed under the Office of Management and Budget and revised on a five-year cycle; the current vintage is 2022 and is coordinated with Canada and Mexico. ¹
NAICS 423510 covers merchant wholesalers operating metal service centers and other metal wholesale operations. Service centers typically hold inventory and may perform limited, order-related processing such as sawing, shearing, bending, leveling, cleaning, or edging; affiliated sales offices may take orders without holding inventory. Covered products commonly include bars, plates, sheets, rods, pipe, ingots, and noninsulated wire. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Metal service centers that stock and distribute primary ferrous and nonferrous metal forms (e.g., bars, plates, sheets, rods, pipe, ingots). ²
• Limited processing performed as part of sales orders (e.g., sawing, shearing, bending, leveling, edging, cleaning). ²
• Sales offices affiliated with metal mills that take orders but hold no inventory. ²
• Wholesale distribution of noninsulated wire as a primary metal product. ²
• Merchant wholesaling functions (storage, breaking bulk, logistics) typical of Wholesale Trade Sector 42. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Related NAICS items reflect Census cross-references associated with metal service centers and distinctions from hardware and scrap dealers. ²
PSC selections align with the official metals product families used in federal purchasing. ⁴

Common exclusions and edge cases

• Precious metals wholesaling (gold, silver, platinum) is classified under Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers (NAICS 423940), not 423510. ⁵
• Recyclable metal scrap merchants and processors fall under 423930, not 423510. ⁶
• Staples, tacks, brads, nails, and similar hardware items are classified in 423710, not 423510. ⁷
• Mineral and metal ore wholesaling (including concentrates) is classified in 423520, not 423510. ⁸

SBA size standard and supply classification notes

• The SBA small business size standard for 423510 is 200 employees. ⁹
• For supply acquisitions, wholesalers are generally treated under the SBA nonmanufacturer rule (deemed small at 500 or fewer employees when all conditions in 13 CFR 121.406 are met), rather than classifying the procurement under Wholesale Trade NAICS. ¹⁰

Frequently asked questions

• What activities distinguish NAICS 423510 service centers from other wholesalers?
  Service centers hold metal inventory and may perform limited, order-related processing such as cutting to length, shearing, bending, leveling, edging, or cleaning. Affiliated sales offices may take orders without maintaining inventory. ²

• How is NAICS 423510 different from NAICS 423930 scrap wholesalers?
  423510 covers wholesaling of primary metal forms; recyclable metal scrap merchants and processors are classified under 423930. ⁶

• How is NAICS 423510 different from NAICS 423520 (ore wholesalers)?
  423520 covers merchant wholesalers of metal ores and certain nonmetallic minerals; 423510 covers finished or semi-finished metal products and service centers. ⁸

• What is the SBA small business size standard for NAICS 423510?
  The size standard is 200 employees. Agencies and offerors should confirm current thresholds on SBA’s Table of Size Standards before competing or certifying small business status. ⁹

• What is the SBA nonmanufacturer rule and when does it apply?
  When a firm supplies a product it did not manufacture under a small business set-aside, it may qualify as a small business nonmanufacturer if it meets all criteria in 13 CFR 121.406, including the 500-employee cap, among other conditions. ¹⁰

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 423510 overview
• Census NAICS 2022 — 423510
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards: NAICS size thresholds
• eCFR — 13 CFR 121.406 Nonmanufacturer rule
• PSC Tool — Metals product codes (Group 95) including 9515, 9520, 9535

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS: Introduction and background (five-year revision cycle; coordination with Canada and Mexico). https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 423510: Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (definition, examples, and cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=423510&year=2022&details=423510
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS Sector 42: Wholesale Trade (scope and structure). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=42&year=2022&details=42
4. PSC Tool — Federal Product and Service Codes: Group 95 Metals (includes 9515, 9520, 9535). https://psctool.us/codes/95
5. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 423940: Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=423940&year=2022&details=423940
6. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 423930: Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=423930&year=2022&details=423930
7. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 423710: Hardware Merchant Wholesalers. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=423710&year=2022&details=423710
8. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 423520: Coal and Other Mineral and Ore Merchant Wholesalers. https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=423520&year=2022&details=423520
9. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards (Wholesale Trade NAICS, 200-employee standards). https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards
10. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations — 13 CFR 121.406 Nonmanufacturer rule. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121/section-121.406