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Comparison of SIC and NAICS Codes for the Plastics Industry

What is the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)?
How does it compare with the old Standard Industrial Classification (SIC codes)?

The way in which the U.S. government collects economic statistics on industry changed January 1, 1997 under the new North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The NAICS, which replaced the current Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), will facilitate the collection, tabulation, presentation and analysis of data regarding industrial statistics. It also promotes the uniformity and comparability of statistics in the United States, Mexico and Canada, as well as the latest revision of the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification. Starting in 2002, government statistics will be presented using NAICS rather than SIC.

The SIC, which had been largely unchanged since its inauguration in 1945, was widely viewed as outdated and not reflective of changes in industry, technology and services in recent decades. The NAICS seeks to take into consideration business advancements in recent years and the view that international economies are becoming increasingly interrelated. In addition, the NAICS is the first industry classification system based on the principle that production units that use similar processes should be grouped together.

2002
NAICS		 NAICS Description 1987
SIC		 SIC Description
326113 Unlaminated Plastics Film and Sheet (except Packaging) Manufacturing 3081 Unsupported Plastics Film and Sheet
326121 Unlaminated Plastics Profile Shape Manufacturing 3082 Unsupported Plastics Profile Shapes
326130 Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet (except Packaging) and Shape Manufacturing 3083 Laminated Plastics Plate, Sheet and Profile Shapes
326122 Plastics Pipe & Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 3084 Plastics Pipe
326160 Plastics Bottle Manufacturing 3085 Plastics Bottles
326140 Polystyrene Foam Product Manufacturing 3086 Plastics Foam Products (Polystyrene form products)
326150 Urethane and Other Foam Product (except Polystyrene) Manufacturing 3086 Plastics Foam Products (Except polystyrene form products)
325991 Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins 3087 Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
326191 Plastics Plumbing Fixture Manufacturing 3088 Plastics Plumbing Fixtures
326199 All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing 3089 Plastics Products, NEC (Except plastics pipe fittings, inflatable plastics life jackets, plastics furniture parts, and plastics sausage casings.)
326199 All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing 3999 Manufacturing Industries, NEC (Plastics products such as combs, hair curlers, etc)