Carbon fiber frame CNC routing costs $35-60/frame domestically vs $3-8 from Chinese router farms

FPV drone frames are CNC-routed from carbon fiber sheets, and Chinese routing services (Shendrones, AliExpress vendors) charge $3-8 per frame including material, while US-based CNC shops charge $35-60 for identical geometry due to higher labor costs and carbon dust OSHA compliance requirements. For military expendable drones at 2,000 units/month, this is the difference between $6,000 and $120,000 monthly in frame costs alone. This persists because carbon fiber routing produces carcinogenic dust requiring expensive ventilation and PPE that Chinese shops externalize, and US manufacturing wages make the per-unit labor cost uncompetitive even with automation.