331410 Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining

Official definition

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) smelting ores into nonferrous metals and/or (2) the primary refining of nonferrous metals (except aluminum) by electrolytic methods or other processes.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Mining and making copper and other nonferrous concentrates (including gold and silver bullion), by processes, such as solvent extraction or electrowinning are classified in Industry Group 2122, Metal Ore Mining.
• Recovering copper or copper alloys from scrap or dross and/or alloying, rolling, drawing, and extruding purchased copper are classified in Industry 331420, Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying.
• Rolling, drawing, and/or extruding nonferrous metal shapes (except copper and aluminum) from purchased nonferrous metals (except copper and aluminum) or by recovering nonferrous metals (except copper and aluminum) and rolling, drawing, or extruding are classified in U.S. Industry 331491, Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding.
• Recovering nonferrous metals (except copper and aluminum) from scrap and making primary forms and/or alloying purchased nonferrous metals (except copper and aluminum) are classified in U.S. Industry 331492, Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum).
• Making aluminum from alumina are classified in U.S. Industry 331313, Alumina Refining and Primary Aluminum Production.
• Operating facilities where commingled recyclable materials, such as paper, plastics, used beverage cans, and metals, are sorted into distinct categories without also smelting or refining are classified in Industry 562920, Materials Recovery Facilities.
• Sorting, breaking up, and wholesaling scrap metal without also smelting or refining are classified in Industry 423930, Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Activities listed under 331410

The Census index assigns these 46 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Antimony refining, primary
• Bars made in primary copper smelting and refining mills
• Beryllium refining, primary
• Bismuth refining, primary
• Blister copper manufacturing
• Cadmium refining, primary
• Chromium refining, primary
• Cobalt refining, primary
• Copper alloys made in primary copper smelting and refining mills
• Copper concentrate refining
• Copper shapes (e.g., bar, billet, ingot, plate, sheet) made in primary copper smelting and refining mills
• Copper smelting and refining, primary
• Germanium refining, primary
• Gold bullion or dore bar produced at primary metal refineries
• Gold refining, primary
• Ingot, primary, nonferrous metals (except aluminum), manufacturing
• Iridium refining, primary
• Lead smelting and refining, primary
• Magnesium refining, primary
• Nickel refining, primary
• Niobium refining, primary
• Nonferrous metal (except aluminum) shapes made in primary nonferrous metal smelting and refining mills
• Nonferrous metals (except aluminum) made in primary nonferrous metal smelting and refining mills
• Nonferrous metals (except aluminum) smelting and refining, primary
• Platinum refining, primary
• Precious metals refining, primary
• Primary refining of copper
• Primary refining of nonferrous metals (except aluminum)
• Primary smelting of copper
• Primary smelting of nonferrous metals (except aluminum)
• Refining copper, primary
• Refining nonferrous metals and alloys (except aluminum), primary
• Rhenium refining, primary
• Selenium refining, primary
• Silver bullion or dore bar produced at primary metal refineries
• Silver refining, primary
• Slab, nonferrous metals (except aluminum) primary
• Smelting of nonferrous metals (except aluminum), primary
• Tantalum refining, primary
• Tellurium refining, primary
• Tin base alloys made in primary tin smelting and refining mills
• Tin refining, primary
• Titanium refining, primary
• Uranium refining, primary
• Zinc refining, primary
• Zirconium refining, primary

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 331410

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 331410, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed 1,000 employees. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 2420), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 24200Manufacture of tubes, pipes, hollow profiles and related fittings, of steelUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.

Similar codes to compare

• 331420Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying