NAICS 212290 Quarterly Industry Report
Other Metal Ore Mining
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 212290Sector: Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction (21)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This industry profile for Other Metal Ore Mining (NAICS 212290) draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[11], U.S. Geological Survey[12], U.S. Energy Information Administration[4], and SBA size standards database[6]. Published by Fair Market Value and updated quarterly, it provides valuation professionals, critical minerals analysts, and specialty mining investors with current market data. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[13].. All quantitative claims are sourced to publicly verifiable databases.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the other metal ore mining industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Other Metal Ore Mining (NAICS 212290) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in developing mine sites, mining, and beneficiating metal ores not classified elsewhere, including uranium-radium-vanadium ore, titanium ore, rare earth element ores, and platinum group metal ores per the U.S. Census Bureau[3]. Activities include uranium in-situ recovery, rare earth mineral extraction, titanium mineral sand mining, vanadium ore processing, and platinum group element recovery.
U.S. uranium concentrate production surged to 677,000 pounds in 2024 from just 50,000 pounds in 2023 per U.S. Energy Information Administration[4] domestic production reporting, reflecting renewed national security interest in domestic nuclear fuel supply. Rare earth oxide production reached 7,600 tons in 2024, up from 1,920 tons in 2023, with operations centered at Mountain Pass, California per USGS[5] mineral data. The U.S. currently imports roughly 80% of rare earth elements consumed domestically. Domestic cobalt production totaled 500 metric tons in 2022 from Michigan mining and Missouri recovery operations. Energy Fuels operates the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the only fully licensed conventional uranium processing facility in the country, and also produces vanadium as a co-product.
Per the SBA Table of Size Standards[6], the size standard is $41.5 million in average annual receipts. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission[7] licenses uranium mining and milling operations under 10 CFR Part 40. Worker safety at all metal mining operations falls under Mine Safety and Health Administration[8] jurisdiction. In 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior[9] added uranium to the 2025 List of Critical Minerals per USGS[10] policy updates, elevating domestic production priority alongside rare earth elements.
What's Included in This Industry
- Uranium in-situ recovery (ISR) mining operations
- Conventional uranium milling and processing
- Rare earth element mining and concentration
- Titanium mineral sand mining and separation
- Vanadium ore mining and co-product recovery
- Platinum group metal extraction and refining
- Cobalt mining and secondary recovery operations
- Critical mineral exploration and deposit evaluation
- Radioactive material handling and transport
- Mine site environmental monitoring and remediation
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 21 |
| Subsector | Mining (except Oil and Gas) | 212 |
| Industry Group | Metal Ore Mining | 2122 |
| NAICS Industry | Other Metal Ore Mining | 21229 |
| National Industry | Other Metal Ore Mining | 212290 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 212230 | Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining | Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining extracts base metals from deposits that may share geologic settings with uranium, rare earth, and platinum group mineralization, with both classifications using similar open pit and underground mining methods under common MSHA regulatory frameworks |
| 212220 | Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining | Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining produces precious metals from operations that sometimes recover platinum group elements and other specialty metals as co-products, with polymetallic ore deposits creating operational overlap between precious metal and other metal ore mining classifications |
| 213114 | Support Activities for Metal Mining | Support Activities for Metal Mining provides contract drilling, assaying, mine construction, and equipment maintenance services to specialty metal mining operators, with exploration drilling contractors performing the geologic sampling and resource estimation work that precedes mine development decisions |
| 325180 | Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing | Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing produces uranium fuel cycle chemicals, rare earth oxides, and titanium dioxide from mineral feedstocks supplied by mining operations, with chemical processing firms serving as downstream customers for specialty metal ore concentrates |
| 221113 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | Nuclear Electric Power Generation consumes uranium fuel produced from domestic and imported ore, with nuclear utility procurement requirements and federal nuclear fuel policy directly affecting uranium mining production levels and market pricing |
| 334413 | Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing | Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing uses rare earth elements in magnets, phosphors, and electronic components, with growing semiconductor demand and supply chain security concerns driving federal support for domestic rare earth mining and processing capacity |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for uranium mining?
NAICS 212290 covers uranium mining along with other specialty metal ores including rare earth elements, titanium, vanadium, and platinum group metals per the U.S. Census Bureau[3].
How much uranium does the U.S. produce?
U.S. uranium concentrate production reached 677,000 pounds in 2024, a dramatic increase from 50,000 pounds in 2023 per EIA[4] domestic production data. In-situ recovery methods account for most current production volume.
What is the SBA size standard for specialty metal mining?
Per the SBA size standard[6], the threshold is $41.5 million in average annual receipts, determining eligibility for federal small business contracting programs and SBA lending products for other metal ore mining firms.
What are rare earth elements?
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metallic elements including cerium, neodymium, and lanthanum used in permanent magnets, catalysts, and electronics per USGS[5] mineral data. U.S. rare earth production reached 7,600 tons of oxide equivalent in 2024 from operations at Mountain Pass, California.
What is in-situ recovery uranium mining?
In-situ recovery (ISR) injects oxygenated water through wells into uranium-bearing sandstone, dissolving uranium which is pumped to the surface for processing. ISR avoids open pit or underground excavation per NRC[7] licensing documentation, with combined U.S. ISR capacity reaching 14.1 million pounds per year.
Why are rare earths considered critical minerals?
Rare earth elements are on the USGS[10] critical minerals list because the U.S. imports roughly 80% of consumption, primarily from China, creating supply chain vulnerability for defense, electronics, and clean energy applications that depend on these materials.
Who regulates uranium mining?
What is yellowcake?
Yellowcake is uranium oxide concentrate (U3O8) produced at uranium mills and ISR processing facilities, representing the first commercial product in the nuclear fuel cycle per EIA[4] reporting. Yellowcake is further processed into uranium hexafluoride for enrichment before fabrication into reactor fuel assemblies.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [4]U.S. Energy Information Administration eia.gov
- [5]USGS usgs.gov
- [6]SBA Table of Size Standards sba.gov
- [7]Nuclear Regulatory Commission nrc.gov
- [8]Mine Safety and Health Administration msha.gov
- [9]U.S. Department of the Interior doi.gov
- [10]USGS usgs.gov
- [11]U.S. Census Bureau data.census.gov
- [12]U.S. Geological Survey usgs.gov
- [13]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [14]SBA lending programs sba.gov
- [15]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [16]504 loans sba.gov
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