NAICS 311314 Quarterly Industry Report
Cane Sugar Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311314Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311314 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing cane sugar refining businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from USDA ERS[6] sugar market analysis, USDA NASS[9] sugar production data, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for cane sugar refining enterprises.
Industry Definition & Overview
Cane Sugar Refining (NAICS 311314) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in refining purchased raw cane sugar into refined white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and liquid sugar products. Additionally, cane sugar refineries receive raw sugar produced by cane sugar mills (located primarily in Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Hawaii) or imported from foreign origins, and process it through affination, melting, clarification, decolorization, crystallization, and drying to produce refined products meeting food-grade specifications. The U.S. Census Bureau[4] classifies cane sugar refining as a distinct activity from raw cane sugar milling and beet sugar manufacturing (NAICS 311313). The U.S. cane sugar refining industry operates within the federal sugar program administered by the USDA[5], which manages domestic sugar supply through marketing allotments, import tariff-rate quotas, and support price mechanisms. Cane refineries are concentrated along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard with port access for imported raw sugar, while vertically integrated operations in Louisiana and Florida process domestically-grown sugarcane from mill to refined product. The USDA Economic Research Service[6] tracks refined sugar production, consumption, and trade data. Business valuations for cane sugar refining operations center on daily melting and refining capacity, decolorization technology, raw sugar procurement and storage infrastructure, and customer contract portfolios with food manufacturers and distributors. Appraisers evaluate refining yield (ratio of refined sugar output to raw sugar input), energy cost per hundredweight, sugar quality consistency metrics, and the mix of branded retail versus bulk industrial product revenue. Port access for raw sugar imports and rail and truck logistics for refined sugar distribution represent critical infrastructure assets in cane refinery valuations.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for cane sugar refining operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across refined granulated, powdered, brown, liquid, and specialty sugar product segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311314
- Comparable transaction data from recent cane sugar refinery sales, capacity acquisitions, and vertical integration transactions
- Market analysis covering raw sugar pricing, refined sugar spreads, import quota allocations, and competitive dynamics with beet sugar
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for refinery managers, boiling house operators, packaging line workers, and quality control staff
- Industry risk assessment including raw sugar price volatility, trade policy changes, energy costs, and federal sugar program modifications
- Regulatory compliance overview covering USDA sugar marketing allotments, FDA food safety standards, and import quota administration
- Capital expenditure profiles for melting stations, clarification systems, bone char or ion exchange columns, crystallizers, and packaging lines
- Production metrics including tons refined per day, refining yield percentages, energy per hundredweight, and quality grade consistency rates
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 3113 |
| NAICS Industry | Sugar Manufacturing | 31131 |
| National Industry | Cane Sugar Manufacturing | 311314 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311313 | Beet Sugar Manufacturing | Beet sugar manufacturing operations that compete with cane refineries in domestic refined sugar markets and share industrial customer bases and distribution networks |
| 311351 | Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans | Chocolate and confectionery manufacturing operations purchasing refined cane sugar as a primary sweetener ingredient for candy, chocolate, and confectionery products |
| 312111 | Soft Drink Manufacturing | Soft drink manufacturing operations purchasing granulated and liquid refined cane sugar for beverage sweetening applications in carbonated and specialty drinks |
| 311812 | Commercial Bakeries | Commercial bakery operations purchasing granulated, powdered, and brown cane sugar products as primary ingredients for bread, pastry, and baked goods production |
| 424490 | Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers | Other grocery product merchant wholesalers distributing refined cane sugar products to retail grocery, foodservice, and industrial food manufacturing accounts |
| 311411 | Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing | Frozen fruit and vegetable processing operations purchasing refined sugar for sweetening frozen fruit products, pie fillings, and prepared frozen dessert items |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | 33.3% | 15 |
| 2 | Florida | 22.2% | 10 |
| 3 | California | 20.0% | 9 |
| 4 | Texas | 11.1% | 5 |
| 5 | New York | 6.7% | 3 |
| 6 | Georgia | 6.7% | 3 |
% Of Establishments
0%
33%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for cane sugar refining?
Cane Sugar Refining is classified under NAICS code 311314, covering establishments refining purchased raw cane sugar into refined sugar products per the U.S. Census Bureau[4] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for cane sugar refining?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 311314 at 1,250 employees, qualifying eligible cane sugar refineries for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are cane sugar refineries valued?
Valuations focus on daily refining capacity, decolorization technology, raw sugar procurement logistics, customer contracts, branded product strength, and port access for imported raw sugar per USDA ERS[6] sugar market data.
What is the difference between cane sugar refining and milling?
Cane sugar mills crush raw sugarcane to produce raw sugar, while refineries process purchased raw sugar into refined white, brown, and specialty sugar products per U.S. Census Bureau[4] NAICS industry classification definitions.
Where are U.S. cane sugar refineries located?
Cane refineries are concentrated along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard with port access for imported raw sugar, with integrated mill-refinery operations in Louisiana, Florida, and Texas per USDA NASS[9] sugar production data.
How does the federal sugar program affect cane refineries?
The USDA[5] sugar program manages supply through marketing allotments and import tariff-rate quotas that influence raw sugar availability, domestic pricing, and refinery profitability levels.
What risks affect cane sugar refining operations?
Major risks include raw sugar price volatility, federal sugar program policy modifications, import quota changes affecting raw sugar availability, energy costs, trade agreement impacts, and competition from beet sugar and alternative sweeteners.
What products do cane sugar refineries produce?
Products include refined white granulated sugar, powdered (confectioners') sugar, light and dark brown sugar, liquid sugar, turbinado, and demerara specialty sugars for retail, foodservice, and industrial food manufacturing applications.
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, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [5]USDA usda.gov
- [6]USDA Economic Research Service ers.usda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]USDA NASS nass.usda.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
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