Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of chemicals and allied products (except agricultural and medicinal chemicals, paints and varnishes, fireworks, and plastics materials and basic forms and shapes). Illustrative Examples: Acids merchant wholesalers Industrial chemicals merchant wholesalers Automotive chemicals (except lubricating oils and greases) merchant wholesalers Industrial salts merchant wholesalers Dyestuffs merchant wholesalers Rosins merchant wholesalers Explosives (except ammunition and fireworks) merchant wholesalers Turpentine merchant wholesalers
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 424 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods subsector sell nondurable goods to other businesses. Nondurable goods are items generally with a normal life expectancy of less than three years. Nondurable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as paper and paper products, chemicals and chemical products, drugs, textiles and textile products, apparel, footwear, groceries, farm products, petroleum and petroleum products, alcoholic beverages, books, magazines, newspapers, flowers and nursery stock, and tobacco products. The detailed industries within the subsector are organized in the classification structure based on the products sold. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling nondurable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4246 | Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of chemicals, plastics materials and basic forms and shapes, and allied products. |
| 42469 | Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 424690. |
| 424690 | Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of chemicals and allied products (except agricultural and medicinal chemicals, paints and varnishes, fireworks, and plastics materials and basic forms and shapes). Illustrative Examples: Acids merchant wholesalers Industrial chemicals merchant wholesalers Automotive chemicals (except lubricating oils and greases) merchant wholesalers Industrial salts merchant wholesalers Dyestuffs merchant wholesalers Rosins merchant wholesalers Explosives (except ammunition and fireworks) merchant wholesalers Turpentine merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of ammunition--are classified in Industry Group 4239, Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of biological and medical products; botanical drugs and herbs; and pharmaceutical products intended for internal and external consumption in such forms as ampoules, tablets, capsules, vials, ointments, powders, solutions, and suspensions--are classified in Industry 424210, Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers;
- 03Merchant wholesale distribution of farm supplies, such as animal feeds, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, seeds, and plant bulbs--are classified in Industry 424910, Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 04Merchant wholesale distribution of paints, varnishes, and similar coatings, pigments, wallpaper, and supplies, such as paintbrushes and rollers--are classified in Industry 424950, Paint, Varnish, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 05Merchant wholesale distribution of lubricating oils and greases--are classified in Industry 424720, Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (except Bulk Stations and Terminals);
- 06Merchant wholesale distribution of fireworks--are classified in Industry 423920, Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 07Merchant wholesale distribution of plastics materials and resins, and unsupported plastics film, sheet, sheeting, rod, tube, and other basic forms and shapes--are classified in Industry 424610, Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Acids merchant wholesalers
Adhesives and sealants merchant wholesalers
Alcohol, industrial, merchant wholesalers
Alkalies merchant wholesalers
Alternative fuels, not blended with petroleum, merchant wholesalers
Ammonia (except fertilizer material) merchant wholesalers
Antifreeze merchant wholesalers
Aromatic chemicals merchant wholesalers
Automotive chemicals (except lubricating greases, lubrication oils) merchant wholesalers
Biodiesel, not blended with petroleum, merchant wholesalers
Biofuels, not blended with petroleum, merchant wholesalers
Bleaches merchant wholesalers
Cannabidiol (CBD oil) merchant wholesalers
Carbon black merchant wholesalers
Caulking materials merchant wholesalers
Caustic soda merchant wholesalers
Chemical additives (e.g., concrete, food, fuel, oil) merchant wholesalers
Chemical gases merchant wholesalers
Chemicals (except agriculture) (e.g., automotive, household, industrial, photographic) merchant wholesalers
Chlorine merchant wholesalers
Cleaning compounds and preparations merchant wholesalers
Coal tar distillates and resins merchant wholesalers
Coal tar products, primary and intermediate, merchant wholesalers
Compressed gases (except LP gas) merchant wholesalers
Concrete additives merchant wholesalers
Cyclic crudes and intermediates merchant wholesalers
Deodorants (except personal) merchant wholesalers
Detergents merchant wholesalers
Detonators (except ammunition) merchant wholesalers
Disinfectants (except agricultural) merchant wholesalers
Drilling muds merchant wholesalers
Dry ice merchant wholesalers
Drycleaning solvents and chemicals merchant wholesalers
Dyes, industrial, merchant wholesalers
Dyestuffs merchant wholesalers
Dynamite merchant wholesalers
Electronic cigarette vapor liquids merchant wholesalers
Essential oils merchant wholesalers
Ethanol, not blended with petroleum, merchant wholesalers
Explosives (except ammunition, fireworks) merchant wholesalers
Fabric softeners merchant wholesalers
Fibers, manmade, merchant wholesalers
Fire extinguisher preparations merchant wholesalers
Food additives, chemical, merchant wholesalers
Fuel additives merchant wholesalers
Gases, compressed and liquefied (except liquefied petroleum gas), merchant wholesalers
Gelatin, inedible, merchant wholesalers
Glues merchant wholesalers
Gum and wood chemicals merchant wholesalers
Ice, dry, merchant wholesalers
Industrial chemicals merchant wholesalers
Industrial gases merchant wholesalers
Industrial salts merchant wholesalers
Inorganic chemicals merchant wholesalers
Insecticides (except lawn and agricultural) merchant wholesalers
Janitorial chemicals merchant wholesalers
Laundry soap, chips, and powder, merchant wholesalers
Liquefied gases (except LP) merchant wholesalers
Manmade fibers merchant wholesalers
Mastics (except construction) merchant wholesalers
Medical gases merchant wholesalers
Metal cyanides merchant wholesalers
Metalworking compounds merchant wholesalers
Nylon fibers merchant wholesalers
Oil additives merchant wholesalers
Oil drilling muds merchant wholesalers
Organic chemicals merchant wholesalers
Pesticides (except agricultural) merchant wholesalers
Polishes (e.g., automobile, furniture, metal, shoe, stove) merchant wholesalers
Polyester fibers merchant wholesalers
Refrigerants merchant wholesalers
Resins, synthetic rubber, merchant wholesalers
Rosins merchant wholesalers
Salts, industrial, merchant wholesalers
Sealants merchant wholesalers
Sulfuric acid merchant wholesalers
Surface active agents merchant wholesalers
Synthetic rubber merchant wholesalers
Turpentine merchant wholesalers
Water softening compounds merchant wholesalers
Waxes (except petroleum) merchant wholesalers
Welding gases merchant wholesalers
Wood treating preparations merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
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Transportation Management Software selects compliant carriers and routes for temperature-sensitive or hazardous cargo, reducing shipping risks and costs associated with the complex logistics of this sector.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 424690.
American Chemistry Council
Leading trade association representing the broader chemical industry including allied product manufacturers and distributors.
US Chemical Industry
Industry directory providing information on chemical companies, suppliers, and distributors across North America.
National Association of Wholesale Distributors (NAWD)
Trade organization focused on wholesale distributors, including those in the chemical and allied products sector.
