NAICS Code 212323 — Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining

National Industry in the official 2022 North American Industry Classification System (U.S. Census Bureau). It is one of 3 national industries under 21232 (Sand, Gravel, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining and Quarrying).

Code	212323
Title	Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining
Level	National Industry (6-digit)
Edition	NAICS 2022 edition
SBA size standard	650 employees

Official definition (2022 NAICS)

This U.S. industry comprises (1) establishments primarily engaged in developing the mine site and/or mining clay (e.g., china clay, paper clay and slip clay) or ceramic and refractory minerals and (2) establishments primarily engaged in beneficiating (i.e., preparing) clay or ceramic and refractory minerals.

Illustrative Examples:

Bentonite mining and/or beneficiating

Fuller's earth mining and/or beneficiating

Common clay mining and/or beneficiating

Kaolin mining and/or beneficiating

Feldspar mining and/or beneficiating

Ball clay mining and/or beneficiating

Fire clay mining and/or beneficiating

Shale (except oil shale) mining and/or beneficiating

Is a business under 212323 "small"?

Under the SBA size standards (13 CFR 121.201, effective March 17, 2023), a business classified in NAICS 212323 qualifies as a small business if it does not exceed 650 employees. Small-business status determines eligibility for federal set-aside contracts, SAM.gov certifications and SBA loan programs — employee count is averaged over the latest 24 months.

Where 212323 sits in the hierarchy

Level	Code	Title
Sector	21	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Subsector	212	Mining (except Oil and Gas)
Industry Group	2123	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
NAICS Industry	21232	Sand, Gravel, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining and Quarrying
National Industry	212323	Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining

No direct SIC mapping is shown for this code: it was introduced or redefined after the official 1987 SIC ↔ 2002 NAICS concordance. Use the crosswalk tool to explore related legacy codes.

Related National Industry codes

• 212321 — Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
• 212322 — Industrial Sand Mining

Data: official 2022 NAICS structure, descriptions and Census concordances, U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. government works in the public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Suggested reference, not an official determination.