3251

Analysis

NAICS 3251 is the 2022 industry group for basic chemical manufacturing, part of 325 (Chemical Manufacturing). Census lists 573 example activities under it in the official index.

County Business Patterns counts 2,621 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 168,047 people at an average annual payroll of $110,455 per employee (88th percentile of national industries). 21% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which points to larger operations.

Across its national industries Census lists 573 index entries; typical ones are acyclic hydrocarbons (e.g., butene, ethylene, propene)…, acetylene manufacturing, acid dyes, synthetic organic, manufacturing and alkalies manufacturing.

Its goods appear in 1562 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 3204 (synthetic organic coloring matter, whether or not…), 2933 (heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) only) and 2903 (halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.

It splits into 5 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 32519 (Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing) with 1,169.

Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 7% and employment rose 9%. 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.