NAICS 42 — Wholesale Trade
Establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise and providing related logistics services. The Wholesale Trade sector encompasses 62 six-digit NAICS codes used in federal procurement, representing $10,919,049,706 in total federal contract spending. Each code within this sector has its own SBA small business size standard, which determines whether a business qualifies as "small" for set-aside and sole-source contract opportunities in that specific industry.
Understanding Sector 42
NAICS sector 42 is one of 20 industry sectors defined by the North American Industry Classification System. The federal government uses these codes to classify contract requirements, determine small business eligibility, and track procurement spending across industries. When a federal agency issues a solicitation, they assign a NAICS code that best describes the principal purpose of the acquisition — this determines the applicable size standard for small business participation.
The codes below are sorted by total federal spending, with the highest-spend industries at the top. Click any code to view detailed spending data, top contractors, and guidance on competing for contracts in that industry.
Six-Digit Codes in Sector 42
| Code | Industry | Federal Spend |
|---|---|---|
| 423850 | Service Establishment Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $4.5B |
| 424210 | Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers | $2.8B |
| 423450 | Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $2.5B |
| 423610 | Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $460.7M |
| 424320 | Men's and Boys' Clothing and Furnishings Merchant Wholesalers | $109.1M |
| 423430 | Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers | $78.0M |
| 423310 | Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers | $62.1M |
| 423940 | Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers | $49.6M |
| 423710 | Hardware Merchant Wholesalers | $46.7M |
| 424410 | General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers | $29.0M |
| 423120 | Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers | $26.2M |
| 423110 | Automobile and Other Motor Vehicle Merchant Wholesalers | $19.5M |
| 424710 | Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals | $18.9M |
| 423840 | Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $18.4M |
| 423330 | Roofing, Siding, and Insulation Material Merchant Wholesalers | $17.6M |
| 423860 | Transportation Equipment and Supplies (except Motor Vehicle) Merchant Wholesalers | $17.6M |
| 424490 | Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers | $16.4M |
| 423830 | Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $15.3M |
| 423990 | Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | $12.4M |
| 423690 | Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $10.0M |
| 423490 | Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $8.2M |
| 425120 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $7.5M |
| 424130 | Industrial and Personal Service Paper Merchant Wholesalers | $7.0M |
| 424350 | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers | $6.6M |
| 424720 | Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (except Bulk Stations and Terminals) | $6.3M |
| 424950 | Paint, Varnish, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $3.9M |
| 423620 | Household Appliances, Electric Housewares, and Consumer Electronics Merchant Wholesalers | $3.6M |
| 424120 | Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $3.4M |
| 423210 | Furniture Merchant Wholesalers | $3.2M |
| 424690 | Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers | $3.2M |
| 424440 | Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers | $2.4M |
| 424920 | Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers | $2.3M |
| 423410 | Photographic Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $2.0M |
| 423720 | Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers | $1.6M |
| 423420 | Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $1.6M |
| 423440 | Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $1.6M |
| 423730 | Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $1.5M |
| 423320 | Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers | $1.4M |
| 423390 | Other Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers | $1.3M |
| 423910 | Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $1.2M |
| 424480 | Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers | $938K |
| 424470 | Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers | $865K |
| 424430 | Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers | $776K |
| 423740 | Refrigeration Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $737K |
| 423810 | Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $706K |
| 423220 | Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers | $499K |
| 423510 | Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers | $469K |
| 424110 | Printing and Writing Paper Merchant Wholesalers | $454K |
| 424340 | Footwear Merchant Wholesalers | $438K |
| 424460 | Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers | $324K |
| 423820 | Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | $273K |
| 423460 | Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers | $249K |
| 424990 | Other Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers | $247K |
| 423130 | Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers | $224K |
| 424520 | Livestock Merchant Wholesalers | $111K |
| 424420 | Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers | $95K |
| 424910 | Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $94K |
| 424930 | Flower, Nursery Stock, and Florists' Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $72K |
| 424510 | Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers | $71K |
| 423930 | Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers | $42K |
| 424610 | Plastics Materials and Basic Forms and Shapes Merchant Wholesalers | $39K |
| 424310 | Piece Goods, Notions, and Other Dry Goods Merchant Wholesalers | $36K |
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What is NAICS sector 42?
NAICS sector 42 covers Wholesale Trade. Establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise and providing related logistics services. It contains 62 six-digit industry codes used in federal procurement.
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How much does the federal government spend in sector 42?
Total federal contract spending across all codes in the Wholesale Trade sector is approximately $10,919,049,706. Individual codes within the sector range from the most active at $4.5B to smaller niche markets.
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How do NAICS sectors relate to size standards?
Each six-digit NAICS code has its own SBA size standard — sectors don't have a single standard. Size standards are expressed either as maximum average annual receipts (e.g., $41.5 million) or maximum number of employees (e.g., 500 employees). Click into any six-digit code to see its specific size standard.
Data sourced from USASpending.gov and Census Bureau . Federal contracting data is public domain.