Heavy Machinery & Capital Equipment
CNC machines, industrial presses, engines, and production-line equipment, often oversized or overweight and requiring specialized handling and rigging.
Manufacturing & Machinery Logistics,
Engineered to Keep Production on Schedule
Our strategically positioned warehouses and optimized logistics systems are built to support the movement of heavy equipment, parts, and components, delivering dependable distribution solutions for the manufacturing sector.
Manufacturing Logistics Solutions..
We offer end-to-end logistics support for manufacturers and machinery suppliers, from sourcing raw components to delivering fully assembled equipment. Whether you are managing inbound materials or outbound distribution, our team ensures precision handling, just-in-time delivery, and full compliance with industry regulations.
With experience in oversized freight, time-critical shipments, and complex supply chains, we help streamline operations, reduce downtime, and keep your production schedules on track. As a licensed U.S. customs broker and a freight forwarder, the same team that books your ocean, air, and inland freight also clears it through customs, so a single point of contact carries your equipment from origin factory to production floor. That combination draws on 250+ years of industry experience across our team, rooted in a Norfolk customs brokerage legacy that traces back to William Meade Stone, who received Norfolk's first customs broker's license in 1907.
Port to plantOne licensed partner, every mile in between
The Manufacturing Cargo We Move.
From single tooling components to fully assembled production lines, the categories of manufacturing and machinery cargo we handle most, each with its own handling, documentation, and classification needs.
Industrial Components & Parts
Bearings, gearboxes, motors, hydraulic assemblies, and other components sourced globally to feed assembly and production lines.
Raw Materials & Metal Stock
Steel, aluminum, and other alloys in coil, billet, or sheet form that supply manufacturing operations, and that carry their own trade-compliance exposure at the border.
Tooling, Dies & Molds
Precision tooling moved between supplier and plant, frequently on tight timelines tied to a production changeover or a new tooling qualification.
Finished & Assembled Equipment
Completed machinery bound for domestic distribution or export, crated or palletized to protect precision components in transit.
Aftermarket Parts & Spares
Replacement parts and consumables that keep installed equipment running, often expedited by air or ground when a production line is down.
Trade Compliance for Machinery Importers.
Industrial machinery and components carry real tariff exposure, from country-of-origin tariffs to national-security duties on steel and aluminum inputs. We manage that exposure so it does not become a hold on your production schedule.
Section 301
China-Origin Machinery & Component Tariffs
Additional tariffs apply to a wide range of Chinese-origin industrial machinery, parts, and components. Origin is determined by where a product is substantially transformed, not simply where it was assembled or shipped from.
How we help: determine the correct origin and tariff exposure for each part number before you commit to a supplier or a shipment.
Section 232
Steel & Aluminum Input Tariffs
Many manufacturers import steel and aluminum stock, castings, or components that fall under separate national-security tariff measures, layered on top of ordinary duty.
How we help: identify which inputs are affected, classify them correctly, and help you plan sourcing and landed cost around it.
Classification
HTS Classification for Complex Machinery
Assembled equipment, parts kits, and multi-component shipments can often be classified more than one way, and the code selected changes the duty rate and whether other tariff measures apply at all.
How we help: classify every line accurately, document the reasoning, and pursue binding rulings when a classification is genuinely close.
Duty recovery
Duty Drawback on Re-Exported Equipment
Manufacturers who import components and later export finished machinery, or re-export unused equipment, may be entitled to recover duties paid on the imported inputs.
How we help: evaluate whether your import and export flows qualify for duty drawback and manage the claim.
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 Production Floor.
Every link in the manufacturing supply chain, coordinated by a single team so nothing is lost in a handoff.
Customs Brokerage & Entry
Entry filing, HTS classification, and duty management by a licensed customs broker, so equipment clears without unnecessary delay.
Ocean & Air Forwarding
Carriage from overseas suppliers to U.S. ports, with air freight available for time-critical parts and tooling.
Warehousing & Transloading
Staging, transloading, and inventory management so components and finished equipment are ready when your production schedule calls for them.
Inland Transportation
Flatbed, drayage, and rail for heavy and oversized equipment, moved from port or warehouse to your plant on schedule.
Project Cargo for Oversized Equipment
Heavy-lift and out-of-gauge handling for capital equipment that exceeds standard container dimensions, with the permits and route planning that come with it. Project cargo
Duty Drawback & Foreign-Trade Zones
Duty recovery on re-exported equipment and FTZ storage that defers duty on inventory awaiting production draw.
Why Manufacturers Choose W.M. Stone.
Production schedules do not wait for a customs hold. We are built to keep your line running.
A Broker and a Forwarder, in One Team
We book the freight and clear it through customs ourselves, so your shipment is not handed between separate companies at the border.
Built for Oversized and Time-Critical Freight
From a single expedited part to a full production line, we plan the handling and the route before the shipment ever moves.
Landed Cost Modeled Before You Ship
We factor Section 301, Section 232, and base duties into your cost before you commit, so the number you plan around is the number you pay.
One Point of Contact, Origin to Plant
A single account team tracks your shipment from overseas factory through customs, warehousing, and final inland delivery.
Manufacturing & Machinery Logistics FAQs.
The questions manufacturers and machinery suppliers ask us most before moving equipment, parts, and materials into and out of the U.S.
Do tariffs apply to industrial machinery and components imported from China?
Many Chinese-origin industrial goods carry additional Section 301 tariffs on top of the base duty rate. Whether a specific part or machine is in scope depends on its HTS classification and country of origin, which is determined by where the product was substantially transformed, not simply where it shipped from. We confirm classification and origin before you ship so the duty is calculated correctly.
How do steel and aluminum tariffs affect my imported equipment or components?
Section 232 tariffs apply to a range of steel and aluminum products and to certain articles made from them, layered on top of any other applicable duty. If your machinery, castings, or component stock contain covered steel or aluminum content, that exposure needs to be identified and classified correctly. We review your bill of materials against current measures before goods move.
Can I recover duty on components I import and then re-export as finished machinery?
Potentially, through duty drawback. Manufacturers who import dutiable components, incorporate them into equipment, and then export the finished product, or who re-export unused imported equipment, may be able to recover duties paid on the original import. Qualification depends on your specific import and export flows, which we review before filing a claim.
How do you handle oversized machinery that will not fit in a standard container?
That is project cargo. Presses, production-line equipment, and other out-of-gauge machinery move on flat racks or as breakbulk, with lift planning, route surveys, and permitted oversized inland transport arranged before the shipment moves. See our project cargo capabilities for the heavy end of the work.
What documentation do I need to clear a machinery or parts shipment smoothly?
Beyond the standard commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading, machinery shipments need correct HTS classification, a properly sized customs bond, and, where applicable, a timely Importer Security Filing before ocean cargo loads. Multi-component shipments also benefit from documented classification reasoning in case of a CBP review. We assemble that package before goods move.
Why use a licensed customs broker instead of just a freight forwarder?
Classification errors, Section 301 exposure, and Section 232 tariffs all get resolved at the customs border, which only a licensed customs broker is authorized to handle on your behalf before CBP. A forwarder alone moves the freight; a broker clears it correctly and can defend the entry if it is questioned. W.M. Stone is both, so freight and compliance move as one.
Credentialed to Move Your Equipment.
Here to Drive Your Business Forward.
Leave your logistics challenges to us so you can focus on growing your business. Tell us what you are importing or exporting and when it needs to reach the line, and let us provide the reliable support your operations need.