FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT NAICS:

1. Q. What is the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)?

A. NAICS is a new industry classification system designed to replace the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). The new system classifies economic units with similar production processes in the same industry. NAICS was developed jointly by the three North American countries - Canada, Mexico and the United States, in response to criticism about the SIC, to reflect changes in the global economy, including the rapid growth of service and technology-based industries, and to provide a comparable classification system for the three countries. NAICS identifies nine new service industry sectors and 358 new industries. In 1997, the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) adopted NAICS for use by all statistical agencies of the Federal Government.

2. Q. When will filing persons be required to use the NAICS to complete the Antitrust Improvement Act Notification and Report Form for Certain Mergers and Acquisitions (Form)?

A. Use of the NAICS began on July 1, 2001. Persons required to file notification with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice are required to use the NAICS to complete Items 5, 7 and 8 of the Form.

3. Q. Where can I find information on NAICS?

A. Information on NAICS can be found on the web at www.census.gov. If you have specific questions, you can select "Dr. NAICS" located at the same web site.

4. Q. What levels of NAICS codes are filing persons required to report?

A. Filing persons are required to report revenue data at the 6-digit NAICS industry code level (where 4-digit SIC codes were used), at the 7-digit NAICS product class code level (where 5-digit SIC codes were used), and at the 10-digit NAICS product code level (where 7-digit SIC codes were used).

5. Q. Where do I find the 6-digit NAICS industry codes?

A. NAICS industry codes can be found at www.census.gov or by consulting the North American Industrial Classification System, United States 1997, a hardbound manual published by OMB that also contains NAICS industry codes and the corresponding descriptions in addition to useful conversion tables. This manual is available in bookstores, by calling the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at 1-800-553-6847 to place an order for a hardbound or CD-ROM, or by ordering online from the NTIS web site at www.ntis.gov/product/naics.htm.

6. Q. What if my industry code in the NAICS industry tables only has 5-digits?

A. Where the NAICS industry code has been published with a 5-digit NAICS industry code rather than the 6-digit NAICS industry code, add a zero (0) following the 5^th digit when completing the Form.

7. Q. Where do I find the 7-digit NAICS product class codes and 10-digit NAICS product codes as well as conversion tables between the NAICS and the SIC codes?

A. These codes can be found at the Bureau of the Census website at www.census.gov by clicking on "Publications" (PDF), then click on "document" next to the 1997 Economic Census, Numerical Manufactured and Mineral Products (EC97M31R-NL). Under "Comparability of Product Class and Product Codes," click on "1997 to 1992" (Appendix E) to find the published 1997 NAICS 7-digit product class codes and the 10-digit product codes converted from the 5-digit and 7-digit 1992 SIC product class and product codes, respectively. Click on "1992 to1997" (Appendix F) to find the published 1992 SIC product class codes and product codes converted to the 1997 NAICS 7-digit product class codes and 10-digit product codes. The Numerical List can also be found at http://www.census.gov/prod/ec97/97numlist/97numlist.html.

 

The "NAICS Subsector" tables in the Numerical List provide descriptions and 10-digit NAICS-based product codes for manufactured products. For product codes that end in zero, zero (00), please refer to the Current Industrial Reports (CIRs) appertaining to a specific manufacturing NAICS Subsector (first three positions of the NAICS code) to determine if product detail is available for a specific product. To determine whether a more detailed 10-digit product code is available in a CIR visit http://www.census.gov/cir/www/ind_num.html. Select Summary 1998. Additionally, product codes and descriptions for certain CIRs may be found in Appendix B of the Numerical List. Only manufactured products are to be reported by 10-digit NAICS-based product codes in Items 5(b)(i) and 5(b)(ii) of the Form.

8. Q. Did the base year for reporting revenue data change from 1992?

A. Yes, the base year has changed from 1992 to 1997, effective July 1, 2001.

9. Q. If I already classified products for 1997 by SIC-based product codes, do I have to convert these codes to the 1997 NAICS codes?

A. Yes, all revenue data must be reported using the 1997 NAICS-based codes.