This division includes mining for metallic minerals (ores), performed through underground or open-cast extraction, seabed mining etc. Also included are ore dressing and beneficiating operations, such as crushing, grinding, washing, drying, sintering, calcining or leaching ore, gravity separation or flotation operations.

This division excludes manufacturing activities such as the roasting of iron pyrites (see class 2011), the production of aluminium oxide (see class 2420) and the operation of blast furnaces (see classes 2410 and 2420).