Industry Description
Establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of chemicals and allied products, not elsewhere classified, such as acids, industrial and heavy chemicals, dyestuffs, industrial salts, rosin, and turpentine. Establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of ammunition are classified in Industry Group 509; those distributing agricultural chemicals and pesticides are classified in Industry 5191; those distributing drugs are classified in Industry 5122; and those distributing pigments, paints, and varnishes are classified in Industry 5198.
Business Examples
Common types of business activities within US SIC 5169 - Chemicals and Allied Products, Not Elsewhere Classified are:
- Acids-wholesale
- Alcohol, industrial-wholesale
- Alkalies-wholesale
- Ammonia, except for fertilizer-wholesale
- Aromatic chemicals-wholesale
- Carbon black-wholesale
- Caustic soda-wholesale
- Chemical bulk stations and terminals-wholesale
- Chemicals, industrial and heavy-wholesale
- Chlorine-wholesale
- Coal tar products, primary and intermediate-wholesale
- Concrete additives-wholesale
- Cyclic crudes and intermediates-wholesale
- Detergents-wholesale
- Drilling mud-wholesale
- Dry ice-wholesale
- Dyestuffs-wholesale
- Essential oils-wholesale
- Explosives, all kinds except ammunition and fireworks-wholesale
- Food additives, chemical-wholesale
- Fuel additives-wholesale
- Gases, compressed and liquefied: except liquefied petroleum
- Gelatin-wholesale
- Glue-wholesale
- Gum and wood chemicals-wholesale
- Industrial gases-wholesale
- Laundry soap, chips, and powder-wholesale
- Manmade fibers-wholesale
- Metal cyanides-wholesale
- Metal polishes-wholesale
- Metal salts-wholesale
- Naval stores-wholesale
- Oil additives-wholesale
- Oil drilling muds-wholesale
- Organic chemicals, synthetic-wholesale
- Polishes: furniture, automobile, metal, shoe, etc.-wholesale
- Resins, synthetic rubber-wholesale
- Rosin-wholesale
- Rust-proofing chemicals-wholesale
- Salts, industrial-wholesale
- Sanitation preparations-wholesale
- Sealants-wholesale
- Surface active agents-wholesale
- Synthetic rubber-wholesale
- Turpentine-wholesale
- Waxes, except petroleum-wholesale
IBISWorld Industry Research Report
Chemical Wholesaling in the US (42469)
Revenue 2025
$349.3bn
Growth 2025
3.31%
Key Trends
The industry has undergone increased consolidation activity as major companies seek to acquire smaller, regional players
Downstream customers, including the manufacturing, construction and healthcare sectors, have increased chemical purchases
Oil price volatility is slated to persist, although the world price of crude oil is projected to decline despite year-over-year volatility
Products and Services
US-SIC Hierarchy 5169 - Chemicals and Allied Products, Not Elsewhere Classified
US-SIC Code 5169 - Chemicals and Allied Products, Not Elsewhere Classified sits in the 2-digit Chemicals and Allied Products, Not Elsewhere Classified sector. US SIC codes can be 2 to 8 digits and the further along the hierarchy, the more detailed and specific the category will be.
Division: F
Division Title: Wholesale Trade
2 Digits 3 Digits 4 Digits
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501 Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies
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502 Furniture and Home Furnishings
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503 Lumber and Other Construction Materials
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504 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies
- 5043 Photographic Equipment and Supplies
- 5044 Office Equipment
- 5045 Computers and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software
- 5046 Commercial Equipment, Not Elsewhere Classified
- 5047 Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies
- 5048 Ophthalmic Goods
- 5049 Professional Equipment and Supplies, Not Elsewhere Classified
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505 Metals and Minerals, Except Petroleum
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506 Electrical Goods
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507 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment
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508 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies
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509 Miscellaneous Durable Goods
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-
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511 Paper and Paper Products
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512 Drugs, Drug Proprietaries, and Druggists' Sundries
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513 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions
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514 Groceries and Related Products
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515 Farm-product Raw Materials
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516 Chemicals and Allied Products
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517 Petroleum and Petroleum Products
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518 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages
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519 Miscellaneous Non-durable Goods
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Extended US-SIC Hierarchy for 5169 - Chemicals and Allied Products, Not Elsewhere Classified
For business marketing and targeting, US SIC Codes have been extended to provide more specific classifications within US-SIC 5169 - Chemicals and Allied Products, Not Elsewhere Classified. Extended US SIC Codes are being continuously updated to reflect the current business environment.
6 Digit SIC Codes
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516901 Ice melting equipment & supplies (whol)
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516902 Glass coating & tinting materials (whol)
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516903 Explosives (wholesale)
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516904 Absorbents (wholesale)
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516905 Floor treatment compounds (wholesale)
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516907 Helium (wholesale)
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516908 Acetylene (wholesale)
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516909 Oil additives-distributors
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516910 Acids (wholesale)
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516911 Alcohol (wholesale)
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516912 Adhesives & glues (wholesale)
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516913 Argon (wholesale)
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516914 Ammonia (wholesale)
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516915 Carbonic gas (wholesale)
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516916 Chemicals (wholesale)
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516917 Chemicals-storage & handling (whol)
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516918 Concrete curing & treating mtrl (whol)
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516919 Concrete additives (wholesale)
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516920 Oxygen (wholesale)
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516921 Resins (wholesale)
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516922 Polyurethane products-wholesale
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516923 Sealers-asphalt, concrete, etc (whol)
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516924 Rust preventives & removers (wholesale)
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516925 Cleaning compounds (wholesale)
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516926 Wax (wholesale)
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516927 Deodorants (wholesale)
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516928 Chemical plant-equipment & supls (whol)
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516929 Carbon products (wholesale)
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516930 Degreasing equipment & supplies (whol)
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516931 Nickel (wholesale)
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516932 Zinc (wholesale)
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516933 Oils-essential (wholesale)
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516934 Oil treating compounds (wholesale)
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516935 Silicones (wholesale)
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516936 Dyes & dyestuffs (wholesale)
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516937 Solvents (wholesale)
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516938 Odor neutralizers (wholesale)
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516939 Floor waxing polishing/clng mtrls (whol)
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516940 Dishwashing compounds (wholesale)
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516941 Carbide (wholesale)
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516942 Calcium chloride (wholesale)
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516943 Chromium (wholesale)
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516944 Automobile undercoating materials (whol)
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516945 Paint-manufacturing materials (whol)
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516946 Chlorine (wholesale)
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516947 Carbon dioxide (wholesale)
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516948 Gasoline additive-distributors
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516949 Oils-fuel-treatment compounds (whol)
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516950 Nitrogen (wholesale)
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516951 Lubricants-synthetic (wholesale)
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516952 Chemicals-industrial (wholesale)
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516955 Anti-freeze compounds-wholesale
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516956 Coatings-protective-wholesale
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516957 Dyers-wholesale
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516958 Bleaching compounds-wholesale
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516959 Boiler compounds (wholesale)
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516960 Carbonators (wholesale)
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516961 Magnesite (wholesale)
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516962 Oils-synthetic (wholesale)
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516963 Textile dyers (wholesale)
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516964 Brick preservatives (wholesale)
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516965 Gases (wholesale)
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516966 Chemicals-bought (wholesale)
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516967 Chemicals-surplus stock buyers
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516968 Polishes-wholesale
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516969 Sodium silicate (wholesale)
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516971 Wood restoring products (wholesale)
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516972 Gas compressor stations (wholesale)
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516973 Liquid air (wholesale)
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516974 Lubricants-dry (wholesale)
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516975 Oils-emulsion (wholesale)
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516976 Oil well drilling mud & additives-whol
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516977 Gums (wholesale)
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516978 Oil field chemicals (wholesale)
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516999 Chemicals-oil industry (wholesale)
8 Digit SIC Codes
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51690000 Chemicals and allied products, nec
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51690100 Alkalines and chlorine
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51690101 Alkalines
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51690102 Caustic soda
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51690103 Chlorine
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51690200 Industrial gases
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51690201 Acetylene
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51690202 Aerosols
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51690203 Carbon dioxide
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51690204 Compressed gas
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51690205 Dry ice
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51690206 Gases, compressed and liquefied
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51690207 Industrial gases
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51690208 Oxygen
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51690300 Detergents and soaps, except specialty cleaning
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51690301 Detergents
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51690302 Laundry soap chips and powder
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51690400 Specialty cleaning and sanitation preparations
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51690401 Ammonia
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51690402 Sanitation preparations
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51690500 Adhesives and sealants
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51690501 Adhesives, chemical
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51690502 Glue
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51690503 Sealants
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51690504 Waxes, except petroleum
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51690600 Aromatic chemicals
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51690601 Essential oils
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51690700 Chemical additives
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51690701 Concrete additives
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51690702 Oil additives
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51690800 Synthetic resins, rubber, and plastic materials
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51690801 Polyurethane products
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51690802 Resins, synthetic rubber
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51690803 Rosin
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51690804 Synthetic rubber
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51690900 Food additives and preservatives
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51690901 Gelatin
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51691000 Noncorrosive products and materials
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51691001 Anti-corrosion products
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51691002 Coal tar products, primary and intermediate
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51691003 Dyestuffs
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51691004 Gum and wood chemicals
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51691005 Rustproofing chemicals
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51691006 Turpentine
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51691100 Industrial salts and polishes
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51691101 Calcium chloride
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51691102 Metal cyanides, polishes, salts
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51691103 Metal polishes
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51691104 Metal salts
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51691105 Polishes, nec
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51691106 Salts, industrial
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51691200 Alcohols and anti-freeze compounds
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51691201 Alcohols
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51691202 Anti-freeze compounds
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51699900 Chemicals and allied products, nec
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51699901 Acids
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51699902 Carbon black
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51699903 Chemical bulk station and terminal
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51699904 Chemicals, industrial and heavy
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51699905 Drilling mud
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51699906 Explosives
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51699907 Industrial chemicals
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51699908 Manmade fibers
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51699909 Naval stores
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51699910 Organic chemicals, synthetic
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51699911 Silicon lubricants
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51699912 Surface active agents
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51699913 Swimming pool and spa chemicals
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51699914 Air, water or soil test kits
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US SIC Code Directory
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