3324

Analysis

NAICS 3324 is the 2022 industry group for boiler, tank, and shipping container manufacturing, part of 332 (Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing). Census lists 88 example activities under it in the official index.

County Business Patterns counts 1,337 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 88,730 people at an average annual payroll of $76,901 per employee (64th percentile of national industries). 17% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which points to larger operations.

Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 11% and employment rose 3%. 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.

Across its national industries Census lists 88 index entries; typical ones are aftercoolers (i.e., heat exchangers) manufacturing, absorbers, gas, heavy gauge metal, manufacturing, aerosol cans, light gauge metal, manufacturing and air cargo containers, light gauge metal, manufacturing.

Its goods appear in 44 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 7310 (tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers…), 8402 (steam or other vapor generating boilers (other than central…) and 8404 (auxiliary plant for use with boilers of heading 8402 or…). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.

It splits into 3 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 33242 (Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing) with 678.