NAICS 424110

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the U.S. government’s standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of economic statistics. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and first adopted in 1997, NAICS was created jointly with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI; the current U.S. vintage is NAICS 2022. ¹
NAICS 424110 covers establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of bulk printing and/or writing paper—often supplied on rolls for further processing. It is part of the Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers industry group 4241 within Wholesale Trade. The NAICS manual distinguishes this activity from wholesaling of stationery and office paper in 424120 and from industrial/personal service paper in 424130. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Merchant wholesale distribution of bulk printing paper. ²
• Merchant wholesale distribution of bulk writing and fine paper, typically in rolls. ²
• Newsprint wholesaling to printers and publishers. ²
• Groundwood paper wholesaling. ²
• Bulk envelope paper wholesaling. ²
• Business-to-business sales channels characteristic of wholesale trade. ¹
• Industry data published in Economic Census products on a NAICS 2022 basis. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are included in NAICS 424110?
  Establishments primarily engage in merchant wholesale distribution of bulk printing and/or writing paper, generally supplied on rolls for further processing. Examples include newsprint, groundwood paper, and fine writing paper sold to printers, publishers, and converters. ²

• How does NAICS 424110 differ from 424120 and 424130?
  NAICS 424110 covers bulk printing/writing paper; 424120 covers stationery and office supplies (e.g., copier paper, envelopes); 424130 covers wrapping/coarse paper, paperboard, and related disposables. ²

• Are wholesale agents and brokers that arrange paper sales classified in 424110?
  No. Business-to-business electronic markets, agents, and brokers that primarily arrange wholesale transactions are classified under NAICS 425, not in 424110. ²

• Where are official economic statistics for this industry published?
  The Economic Census publishes statistics for Wholesale Trade (Sector 42) on a NAICS 2022 basis, including industries in the paper merchant wholesaler group. Annual estimates are also available at higher aggregation levels from other Census programs. ³

• Does NAICS 424110 specify whether goods are sold in rolls or sheets?
  The NAICS manual notes that this industry primarily wholesales bulk printing and/or writing paper “generally on rolls for further processing.” Sheet formats are not explicitly detailed. Not specified by official sources beyond this phrasing. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 424110 overview
• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS main site and introduction. ¹
• U.S. Census Bureau — 2017 NAICS Manual: detailed definitions and cross-references for 424110/4241. ²
• U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Economic Census, Sector 42 Wholesale Trade (NAICS 2022 basis). ³
• U.S. Census Bureau — Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS). ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) main site. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — North American Industry Classification System: United States, 2017 (industry descriptions and cross-references for 424110/4241). https://www2.census.gov/library/reference/naics/publications/2017-NAICS-Manual.pdf
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Economic Census, NAICS Sector 42 Wholesale Trade (NAICS 2022 basis). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-42.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS). https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/annual-wholesale-trade-survey.html
5. General Services Administration — Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2022 (definitions for 9310, 7530). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202022.pdf