488390 Other Support Activities for Water Transportation

Official definition

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing services to water transportation (except port and harbor operations; marine cargo handling services; and navigational services to shipping).

Examples Census gives

• Floating drydocks (i.e., routine repair and maintenance of ships)
• Ship scaling services
• Marine cargo checkers and surveyors

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:

• Ship painting are classified in Industry 238320, Painting and Wall Covering Contractors.
• Providing ship janitorial services are classified in Industry 561720, Janitorial Services.
• Operating port, harbor, or canal facilities are classified in Industry 488310, Port and Harbor Operations.
• Providing dredging services are classified in Industry 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction.
• Providing stevedoring and other marine cargo handling services (except warehousing) are classified in Industry 488320, Marine Cargo Handling.
• Providing navigational services to shipping are classified in Industry 488330, Navigational Services to Shipping.
• Providing ship overhauling or repairs in a shipyard are classified in U.S. Industry 336611, Ship Building and Repairing.
• Providing towing services on inland waters are classified in U.S. Industry 483211, Inland Water Freight Transportation.

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

Activities listed under 488390

The Census index assigns these 6 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Cargo checkers, marine
• Cargo surveyors, marine
• Drydocks, floating (i.e., routine repair and maintenance of ships)
• Marine cargo checkers and surveyors
• Ship dismantling at floating drydock
• Ship scaling services not done at a shipyard

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 488390

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 488390, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $47 million in average annual receipts. 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: 3315, 3830, 5222, 5229), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 33150Repair and maintenance of ships and boatsUK SIC
• 52220Service activities incidental to water transportationUK SIC
• 52290Other transportation support activitiesUK SIC

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

Similar codes to compare

• 488310Port and Harbor Operations
• 488320Marine Cargo Handling
• 488330Navigational Services to Shipping