425120 Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers

Official definition

This industry comprises wholesale trade agents and brokers acting on behalf of buyers or sellers in the wholesale distribution of goods, including those that use the Internet or other electronic means to bring together buyers and sellers. Agents and brokers do not take title to the goods being sold but rather receive a commission or fee for their service. Agents and brokers for all durable and nondurable goods are included in this industry.

Examples Census gives

• Independent sales representatives
• Manufacturers' sales representatives
• Group purchasing organizations (acting as agents for goods distribution)

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:

• Group purchasing organizations purchasing and selling goods on their own account are classified in Subsector 423, Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods, or Subsector 424, Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods.
• Group purchasing organizations acting as agents for services are classified in Industry 561990, All Other Support Services.

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

Activities listed under 425120

The Census index assigns these 13 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Agents and brokers, durable goods, wholesale trade
• Agents and brokers, nondurable goods, wholesale trade
• Automobile auction agents and brokers, wholesale trade
• Business to business electronic markets, durable goods, wholesale trade
• Business to business electronic markets, nondurable goods, wholesale trade
• Durable goods agents and brokers, wholesale trade
• Durable goods business to business electronic markets, wholesale trade
• Electronic markets, durable goods, business to business, wholesale trade
• Electronic markets, nondurable goods, business to business, wholesale trade
• Group purchasing organizations (acting as agents for goods distribution)
• Nondurable goods agents and brokers, wholesale trade
• Nondurable goods business to business electronic markets, wholesale trade
• Petroleum brokers

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 425120

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 425120, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed 125 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: 4510, 4530, 4540, 4610), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 45400Sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles and related parts and accessoriesUK SIC

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