Production & Just-In-Time Parts
Engine components, electronics, wiring harnesses, and trim parts moved on the tight, repeating schedules that keep an assembly line running without a shutdown.
Automotive Logistics,
Built Around the Production Line
W.M. Stone moves production parts, assembly equipment, and finished vehicles at commercial volume for automakers, tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers, and importers. Strategic warehousing, mature processes, and line-side sequencing keep freight flowing to the plant on schedule, and because W.M. Stone is a licensed U.S. customs broker as well as a freight forwarder, the same team that books your freight also clears it at the border.
Built for Automotive Supply Chains..
W.M. Stone supports the companies that build, supply, and distribute vehicles, from automakers and tier suppliers to importers and dealer networks. We manage high-volume, repeating supply chains for parts, components, and finished-vehicle programs, engineered around manufacturing and distribution schedules rather than one-off shipments.
Our team brings deep automotive expertise to keep your operations running, and because we are a licensed U.S. customs broker as well as a freight forwarder, the same team that books your freight also clears it. We manage customs regulations, compliance requirements, and time-sensitive production shipments to minimize delays and protect the line. W.M. Stone is a commercial logistics and customs partner for businesses moving automotive freight at scale. We do not provide personal or single-vehicle relocation. If you are an automaker, supplier, importer, or distributor, we will handle the parts, the compliance, and the delivery so your team can focus on production.
Plant to production lineOne licensed partner, source to line-side
The Automotive Cargo We Move.
From high-frequency production parts to oversized assembly-line equipment, every category of automotive cargo, handled and classified the way it needs to be.
Finished-Vehicle Import Programs
Volume finished-vehicle and chassis imports for OEMs, distributors, and dealer networks, moved from the port of entry to staging yards and distribution points. Commercial programs only, not individual vehicle shipping.
Powertrain & EV Battery Systems
Engines, transmissions, and high-voltage lithium-ion battery packs, cargo that carries its own classification questions and, for batteries, dangerous-goods handling requirements.
Tires, Wheels & Rubber Components
Tires, wheels, and rubber parts, a category with real trade-remedy exposure on certain origins that we screen before goods ship.
Assembly-Line Tooling & Equipment
Stamping presses, robotics, conveyors, and other heavy production equipment, oversized freight that moves as project cargo rather than standard container loads.
Aftermarket & Replacement Parts
Aftermarket components and replacement parts distributed to warehouses, distribution centers, and dealer networks across varied volumes and schedules.
Trade Compliance Built Into the Supply Chain.
Automotive imports carry real customs exposure, from national-security tariffs on vehicles and parts to safety-standard documentation. We handle it as part of the move, not as an afterthought.
National security tariffs
Section 232 on Vehicles & Parts
Section 232 measures place national-security tariffs on imported vehicles and a range of automotive parts, separate from ordinary duty rates. Which vehicles and parts are covered, and at what rate, changes as the program is reviewed.
How we help: confirm whether your vehicles and parts fall inside current Section 232 coverage, classify them accordingly, and post the correct duty at entry.
Classification
HTS Classification Across the Parts Bin
A single automotive shipment, engine components, electronics, trim, fasteners, wiring harnesses, can span dozens of HTS classifications, each with its own duty treatment and possible trade-remedy exposure.
How we help: classify every line correctly, document the reasoning, and pursue lawful tariff engineering and binding rulings where they help.
Trade remedies
AD/CVD on Select Components
Antidumping and countervailing duty orders reach specific automotive inputs, including certain tires and aluminum or steel components, layering extra duty on top of the base tariff for covered origins and producers.
How we help: screen your bill of materials against active orders, confirm scope before goods ship, and post accurate cash deposits when they apply.
Vehicle safety
FMVSS Documentation on Imports
Vehicles and certain original equipment brought into the U.S. must conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and importers must be able to document that conformity at entry.
How we help: coordinate the documentation your import needs to demonstrate FMVSS conformity and keep compliant shipments moving without a hold.
This page is general information, not legal, tax, or customs advice; trade measures change and vary by product, origin, and destination, so we verify the rules in force on each shipment.
One Partner, From Overseas Supplier to Your Production Line.
Every link in the automotive import chain, coordinated by a single team so nothing is lost in a handoff.
Ocean & Air Forwarding
Carriage of production parts, components, and finished vehicles, with air options for time-critical pieces that cannot wait on a shutdown.
Customs Brokerage & Classification
Entry filing, HTS classification, and Section 232 and AD/CVD screening across a full bill of materials, by a licensed broker.
Warehousing & Transloading
Staging and sequencing near your plant so parts arrive on the schedule your production line runs on.
Inland Transportation
Drayage, trucking, and rail from the port of entry to the plant, distribution center, or dealer network.
Foreign-Trade Zone & Duty Drawback
Duty deferral for high-volume parts production and drawback recovery on duty paid for parts that are re-exported or leave in finished vehicles.
Project Cargo & Oversized Equipment
Out-of-gauge moves for stamping presses, robotics, and other heavy assembly-line equipment. Project cargo
Why Automotive Importers Choose W.M. Stone.
A production line does not wait, and neither does the customs exposure behind it. We are built to clear both.
Licensed to Clear, Not Just to Move
Only a licensed customs broker is authorized to clear your entry before CBP. A forwarder moves the box; we move it and clear it.
Built Around Your Production Schedule
Warehousing, sequencing, and inland delivery are planned around the line-side schedule your plant actually runs on, not a generic transit time.
One Team, Every Mode
Ocean, air, rail, inland trucking, and project cargo are coordinated by a single team, so parts, tooling, and finished vehicles move as one plan.
250+ Years of Trade Experience
Our team brings more than 250 years of combined industry experience to the customs and compliance decisions behind every automotive shipment.
Automotive Logistics FAQs.
The questions automotive importers ask us most before moving parts, equipment, and vehicles into the U.S.
Do Section 232 tariffs apply to the parts I import, or only to finished vehicles?
Section 232 automotive measures can reach both finished vehicles and a range of parts, and coverage has changed as the program has been reviewed. Whether a specific part is in scope depends on its classification and origin. We confirm current coverage against your bill of materials before goods ship, so the duty posted at entry is the right one.
How do you keep just-in-time parts moving without holding up the line?
We plan warehousing, transloading, and inland delivery around your actual production schedule, not a generic transit estimate. Sequencing parts to arrive when the line needs them, and clearing customs ahead of that delivery window, is what keeps a shutdown from becoming your logistics provider's problem.
Can duty drawback help on parts we import and later re-export or ship out in finished vehicles?
Often, yes. Duty drawback allows recovery of duty paid on imported parts that are later exported, either as-is or incorporated into a finished product that leaves the country. For automotive manufacturers running cross-border supply chains, this can meaningfully offset the duty already paid on covered parts. We assess whether your program qualifies and manage the claims.
Do imported vehicles or original equipment need to meet U.S. safety standards before they clear customs?
Yes. Vehicles and certain original equipment must conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and that conformity generally needs to be documented at the time of entry. We coordinate the paperwork your specific import needs so it clears without a hold.
Why use a licensed customs broker instead of just a freight forwarder for automotive parts?
The expensive risks in automotive imports, Section 232 tariffs, AD/CVD exposure, and misclassification across a large parts bin, all live at the customs border, which only a licensed customs broker is authorized to handle before CBP on your behalf. A forwarder alone moves the container; a broker clears it correctly and defends the entry. W.M. Stone is both, so freight and compliance move as one.
How do you move oversized assembly-line equipment like stamping presses or robotics?
That is project cargo. Presses, robotics, conveyors, and other heavy production equipment move as out-of-gauge or heavy-lift freight, with route planning and permitted oversized inland transport handled alongside the rest of your shipment. See our project cargo capabilities for the heavy end of the work.
Can W.M. Stone ship or relocate my personal vehicle?
No. W.M. Stone is a commercial customs broker and freight forwarder for businesses; we serve automakers, suppliers, importers, and dealer networks moving automotive freight at volume. We do not handle personal, individual, or single-vehicle relocation. If you are moving vehicles or parts as part of a company supply chain, that is exactly what we do.
Credentialed to Clear Your Cargo.
Here to Drive Your Business Forward.
Tell us what you are importing, where it is coming from, and when your line needs it. We will handle the classification, the compliance, and the delivery, from overseas supplier to your production line.