Analysis
NAICS 325110 is the 2022 national industry for petrochemical manufacturing, part of 32511 (Petrochemical Manufacturing). Census lists 27 example activities under it in the official index.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 58% and employment rose 15%. 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 76 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 10,888 people at an average annual payroll of $154,222 per employee (98th percentile of national industries). 18% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which points to larger operations.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include acyclic hydrocarbons (e.g., butene, ethylene, propene)…, aliphatic (e.g., hydrocarbons) (except acetylene) made from…, aromatic petrochemicals made from refined petroleum or… and benzene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons, among 27 in all.
Its goods appear in 16 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 2901 (acyclic hydrocarbons), 2711 (petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons) and 2921 (amine-function compounds). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
Census lists 4 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 324110, 325120, 32519 and 211130. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) manufacturing acyclic (i.e., aliphatic) hydrocarbons such as ethylene, propylene, and butylene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons and/or (2) manufacturing cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, styrene, xylene, ethyl benzene, and cumene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing petrochemicals by refining crude petroleum | 324110 Petroleum Refineries |
| Manufacturing acetylene | 325120 Industrial Gas Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing basic organic chemicals (except petrochemicals) | 32519 Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing |
| Recovering liquid hydrocarbons from oil and gas field gases | 211130 Natural Gas Extraction |
Index entries (27)
- Acyclic hydrocarbons (e.g., butene, ethylene, propene) (except acetylene) made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Aliphatic (e.g., hydrocarbons) (except acetylene) made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Aromatic petrochemicals made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Benzene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Butadiene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Butane made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Butylene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Cumene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Dodecene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Ethane made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Ethylbenzene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Ethylene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Heptanes made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Heptenes made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Isobutane made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Isobutene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Isoprene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Nonene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Olefins made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Paraffins made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Pentanes made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Pentenes made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Propylene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Styrene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Toluene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons
- Xylene made from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons