NAICS 424460

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the governmentwide standard for grouping business establishments to compile and publish statistics about the U.S. economy. NAICS was established under the Office of Management and Budget in 1997 to replace SIC and was jointly developed by the U.S. Economic Classification Policy Committee, Statistics Canada, and Mexico’s INEGI; the current vintage is 2022. ¹
NAICS 424460 covers establishments primarily engaged in merchant wholesale distribution of fish and seafood products, excluding canned items and packaged frozen seafood. Agencies use this code to classify wholesale trade activity in the seafood supply chain, distinct from packaged frozen foods and from seafood processing and canning. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 424460 overview
• NAICS 424420 — Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers
• NAICS 311710 — Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging

What this NAICS covers

• Merchant wholesale distribution of fish and seafood not sold as canned or packaged frozen products. ²
• Bulk, fresh, chilled, or otherwise non-canned seafood moving from producers or importers to retailers, foodservice, and institutions. ²
• Sales, warehousing, and delivery activities typical of merchant wholesalers in seafood channels. ²
• Brokerage-like selling performed by wholesalers of fish and seafood when they own the goods being sold. ²
• Importing and reselling seafood at the wholesale level when the establishment’s primary activity is wholesale distribution. ²
• Excludes packaged frozen fish/seafood (classified under NAICS 424420) and canned fish/seafood (classified under NAICS 424490). ²
• Excludes seafood processing such as canning, smoking, salting, drying, freezing, or shucking and packing fresh shellfish (classified under NAICS 311710). ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	424420	Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS	424490	Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS	311710	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging
PSC	8905	Meat, Poultry, and Fish

Industry boundaries and cross-references

• Packaged frozen fish and seafood are classified in NAICS 424420; they are not part of NAICS 424460. ²
• Canned fish and seafood fall under NAICS 424490, not NAICS 424460. ²
• Seafood processing activities, including freezing, canning, smoking, salting, drying, and shucking/packing fresh shellfish, are classified in NAICS 311710. ²

Federal data availability

• The Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) publishes national estimates by 2‑ through 4‑digit NAICS, including the Wholesale Trade sector and its industries; this includes the industry encompassing NAICS 424460. ³
• 2022 Economic Census tables for Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) provide establishment and product statistics at national and subnational levels on the 2022 NAICS basis. ⁴

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are included in NAICS 424460?
  NAICS 424460 includes merchant wholesalers that distribute fish and seafood except those sold as canned or packaged frozen products. Typical functions are purchasing, storing, and reselling to retailers and foodservice without processing the seafood. ²

• How is NAICS 424460 different from NAICS 424420?
  NAICS 424460 covers wholesale fish and seafood that are not canned or packaged frozen, while NAICS 424420 covers merchant wholesalers of packaged frozen foods, including packaged frozen seafood. ²

• Does NAICS 424460 include seafood processing or packing?
  No. Processing and packing activities such as canning, smoking, salting, drying, freezing, or shucking and packing fresh shellfish are classified under NAICS 311710, not under NAICS 424460. ²

• Which federal statistical programs report data for NAICS 424460?
  The Annual Wholesale Trade Survey provides sales, inventories, purchases, and expenses for wholesale industries, and the Economic Census publishes detailed Sector 42 tables on a 2022 NAICS basis that include grocery-related wholesalers. ³

• What PSC is commonly associated with seafood wholesale buys?
  Product Service Code 8905 is “Meat, Poultry, and Fish” in the official PSC Manual and is frequently used for subsistence/food procurements that include fish and seafood products. ⁵

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 424460 overview
• Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (background on NAICS and its use). ¹
• NAICS 424460 definition and official cross-references. ²
• Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (program page and releases). ³
• 2022 Economic Census — NAICS Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) data tables. ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/guidance/understanding-naics.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS 424460: Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (definition and cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=424460&year=2022&details=424460
3. U.S. Census Bureau — Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (program page). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/awts.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS Sector 42: Wholesale Trade (Economic Census data tables). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-42.html
5. U.S. General Services Administration — Product and Service Code Manual (current files). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual/all