NAICS 2022
312
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
Analysis
NAICS 312 is the 2022 subsector for beverage and tobacco product manufacturing. Census lists 83 example activities under it in the official index.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 24% and employment rose 21%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
County Business Patterns counts 12,577 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 291,105 people at an average annual payroll of $58,710 per employee (31st percentile of national industries). 34% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Across its national industries Census lists 83 index entries; typical ones are artificially carbonated waters manufacturing, beverages, naturally carbonated bottled water, manufacturing, block ice manufacturing and ale brewing.
Its goods appear in 157 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 2208 (undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by…), 2403 (other manufactured tobacco and manufactured tobacco…) and 2204 (wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines; grape must…). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
It splits into 2 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 3121 (Beverage Manufacturing) with 12,452.
Official definition
Industries in the Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing subsector manufacture beverages and tobacco products. The Beverage Manufacturing industry group includes three types of establishments: (1) those that manufacture nonalcoholic beverages; (2) those that manufacture alcoholic beverages through the fermentation process; and (3) those that produce distilled alcoholic beverages. Ice manufacturing, while not a beverage, is included with nonalcoholic beverage manufacturing because it uses the same production process as water purification.
In the case of activities related to the manufacture of beverages, the structure follows the defined production processes. Brandy, a distilled beverage, is not placed under distillery product manufacturing, but rather under winery product manufacturing since the production process used in the manufacturing of alcoholic grape-based beverages produces both wines (fermented beverage) and brandies (distilled beverage).
The Tobacco Manufacturing industry group includes two types of establishments: (1) those engaged in redrying and stemming tobacco and (2) those that manufacture tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Index entries (83)
- Artificially carbonated waters manufacturing
- Beverages, naturally carbonated bottled water, manufacturing
- Block ice manufacturing
- Ale brewing
- Alcoholic beverages, brandy, distilling
- Alcoholic beverages (except brandy) distilling
- Chewing tobacco manufacturing