Pulling in capital, talent and corporations at a historic clip, Florida is no longer just competing with rival states — it’s competing with global economies.

New data from the Florida Chamber of Commerce shows the Sunshine State’s $1.8 trillion economy has climbed to No. 14 globally, according to the Florida Chamber Foundation. The chamber says the ranking demonstrates the state’s emphasis on lower taxes, streamlined regulations and free enterprise.

“The best way to help America move forward is to have Florida lead the country forward when it comes to free enterprise and freedom,” Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson told Fox News Digital. “If we would follow Florida’s lead, everyone wins.”

Last week, the chamber announced Florida had climbed to No. 14 among the world’s largest economies by gross domestic product (GDP). The state’s economy reached $1.8 trillion after growing 6.3% over the past year, surpassing Australia and Mexico, according to the chamber. Florida now ranks behind South Korea at No. 13 and would need roughly 2% additional growth to surpass it and about 21% more growth to overtake Canada, which ranks No. 10.

CALIFORNIA WEALTH CHARTS A QUIETER PATH TO FLORIDA AS GULF COAST ENTERS MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR BOOM

“We’re trying to grow the private sector and shrink the government sector,” Wilson explained. “I mentioned the ‘death spiral,’ when you look at New York, when you look at Illinois, New Jersey, Minnesota, California, they keep increasing taxes. They keep increasing government regulations, and they keep forcing people to leave their states or incentivizing people to leave their states… so it only increases our resolve.”

Florida is now the world’s 14th largest economy, bringing in $1.8 trillion in GDP. (Getty Images)

Florida’s daily population migration has normalized from its post-pandemic peak down to about 500 to 600 people a day, yet the wealth migration stayed solid at over $4 million every single hour. That metric has remained strong, Wilson said, as “places like New York and California are losing population, they’re losing wealth, they’re losing businesses and places like Florida are gaining [them].”

While tourism, agriculture and construction remain foundational industries, Chamber data shows Florida ranking No. 1 nationally for new business startups and manufacturing job growth. Wilson also highlighted growth in aerospace, defense, fintech, healthcare, logistics and Central Florida’s $11.6 billion modeling-and-simulation industry.

“The secret sauce for us in Florida is this has been part of a 20-year plan,” the CEO said. “From the governor to the legislature, to nearly all of us in the business community, we’ve been on an ultra-focused pathway here of doing the right things from a policy standpoint so that we can grow Florida the right way. So people can work, people can live the American dream, and we can show the rest of the country and the world how to do it.”

Wilson argued that running the state like a business with low debt protects local enterprises from national economic turmoil and Washington’s debt crisis, with the chamber reporting that Florida has the nation’s lowest state debt per capita at less than $1,000 per resident. By comparison, New York carries more than $6,500 in state debt per resident.

However, a recent Bloomberg analysis found that U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data indicates the combined cost of living in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach region — dubbed the “Gold Coast” — is roughly 5% higher than in the New York metropolitan area and its surrounding suburbs.

“We’re taking a deep dive into that [report], that actually doesn’t compare New York to Florida, it compares Miami to New York City,” Wilson responded. “And what we’re looking at is not just the cost of living, but there are things like crime. Miami is now one of the safest places in America… It’s safe to walk the streets at night. Sometimes there’s no price tag you can put on some of these amenities Florida has.”

“Our country’s now at a fork in the road where some of these death spiral states like New York have adopted socialistic policies, which, of course, never work. They take away freedom and they increase taxes and regulations.”

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“The leadership in the Miami area, I’ve spoken to them and we’re in partnership that over the next several years, we’re going to continue to do things like improve an already awesome education system, and make sure that we have the affordable workforce housing solutions so that more and more people can live the American dream right here in Florida,” he continued.

Wilson also discussed high-profile billionaires and major corporations relocating to the Sunshine State, responding to critics who argue the influx has driven up housing costs and inflation for working-class families.

“They’re looking for places where they’re welcomed,” he said. “What’s interesting is a lot of billionaires are relocating to Florida, but they’re also investing in Florida businesses… There’s no question that when a lot of wealth moves into an area, it can increase the cost of living in an area. There’s no question that that’s true… But it also brings with it an overwhelming value proposition of more wealth, more jobs, more businesses.”

“I would hate to be New York, Illinois or California, where the billionaires are leaving, the millionaires are leaving, the middle class is leaving. And there’s no one left to pay the taxes.”

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Wilson and the chamber are confident Florida can reach the world’s top 10 economies by the end of the decade. The Florida 2030 Blueprint outlines a 10-year strategic plan targeting fiscal, workforce and civic goals, with a focus on life sciences, defense, ag-tech, commercial space, logistics and cybersecurity.

“It’s like a military operation where we have all the branches, from education to infrastructure, to taxes, to regulation, to litigation — we all realize that we have a country to save,” the chamber CEO said. “If we’re better than other states in certain metrics, then those states can up their game. If some states have found some things that Florida can learn from, then we’ll learn from them, and that’s gonna make America better.”

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The latest phase of the 7,000 new home scheme being delivered in a joint venture between Edenstone Homes and Codi Group

Work on the next phase of the £2bn Plasdwr residential scheme on the outskirts of Cardiff is under way.

Housebuilder Edenstone Homes and the housing association Codi Group, have formed a joint venture to deliver Porth yr Awen, a £55m development of 184 new homes on the Plasdwr development, which aims to eventually deliver 7,000 homes in the west of the city.

The total 900-acre development site will border Radyr, Danescourt, Fairwater, Penrebane and St Fagans.

Porth yr Awen will provide 127 open-market properties and 57 affordable homes offering a selection of properties with one, two, three and four bedrooms.The affordable housing will include intermediate rental and low-cost homeownership options.

It is expected the first homes will be put on the market in early 2027, with the first residents expected to move into Porth yr Awen later in the same year.

Edenstone operations director Chris Edge said: “The initial phase of works will see the construction of a spine road into Porth yr Awen, creating access for the infrastructure works that will prepare this development and phases beyond for new homes.

“Once this access route is created, work will commence on the homes along the tree-lined avenue.”

Simon Lewis, development manager at Codi, said: “It’s exciting to reach this stage of the project, with work soon due to begin at Porth yr Awen.

“Every new development like this helps us provide more affordable homes for people who need them, while creating places where communities can grow and thrive.

“Working alongside Edenstone, we’re looking forward to bringing Porth yr Awen to life and creating a well-designed mixed-tenure neighbourhood that people will be proud to call home.”

The website for the Plasdwr development reads: “As Plasdwr emerges over the next generation, it will bring more and more quality facilities for residents, neighbours and visitors from further afield, including one secondary and four primary schools, a district centre with shops, bars and restaurants, parks, playing fields, allotments and healthcare services.

“With construction of the first primary school under way, Plasdwr is beginning to emerge.

“While further infrastructure is built over time, the first Plasdwr residents have become part of their neighbouring communities.”

Planning permission for the first 630 homes was granted in 2016, with outline permission for the remainder of the 7,000 homes being approved in 2017. Since then, individual parts of the development have been approved intermittently.

The proponent behind the Collie green steel mill has struck another supply deal while expanding the proposal’s scope with a $40 million cut-and-bend facility.

Generation Steel, formerly Green Steel of WA, has shaken hands with Victorian manufacturer Stride Reinforcement to supply ready reinforced steel from its proposed mill.

It’s also revealed plans to add a $40 million cut-and-bend facility at the South West site to deliver 100,000 tonnes per annum of ready reinforced steel to construction customers.

The expansion brings the low-carbon steel making project’s total value to $850 million, with Generation Steel targeting taking a final investment decision in late 2026.

The mill, which is expected to come online in 2028, is forecast to produce 450,000 tonnes of steel annually, along with 100,000tpa of cut-and-bend capacity.

The “green steel” will be produced using recycled scrap steel and renewable-powered electric arc furnace technology, a more energy-efficient process that the proponent says produces significantly lower emissions than traditional blast furnace methods.

The Victorian supply arrangement adds to the MOUs Generation Steel has already signed with Lendlease and Laing O’Rourke for the construction material. 

Last month, state government has also tipped in almost $10 millionl towards the completion of pre-development activities as the project, on top of $4.5 million already commited.

The funds were allocated from the $230 million Collie Industrial Transition Fund, established to attract large-scale industrial projects and create long-term jobs in Collie as the town prepares to transition away from its coal-fired power industry.

Generation Steel co-founder Don Johnston said the Stride Reinforcement partnership was the first of more east coast deals to come.

“Right now, the majority of reinforcing steel used in Australia is imported, and even Australian-made rebar is foreign owned and suffers from a lack of any competition,” he said.

“Cash and capital that could have been reinvested has instead drained away from Australian industry. This exposes Australia’s major construction projects to risk, price volatility, and sudden supply disruption.

“By partnering with strong, Australian-owned independents like Stride, we can reliably supply genuinely local, low-emission steel to construction projects right across the country.”

Generation Steel’s co-founder Raj Aggarwal added that the project came at a pivotal moment for Australian manufacturing.

“Reinforcing steel in Australia is at the centre of three macro forces: pressure on supply chains in the face of geopolitical shifts, a lack of investment in new mills, and the emergence of technology which reduces energy use and emissions while improving cost and capability,” he said.

“Meeting these pressures requires a profound change in how we think about manufacturing investment, and sovereign resilience.”

“Just as we need investment in Australian fuel making, we need locally owned and made steel, and this project will shore-up supply and local jobs for generations.”

The green steel mill is expected to create 500 jobs during the expected 24-month construction phase and support 250 ongoing local roles in Collie.

The proposal comes amid a transitional time for the regional town built on coal, as the state prepares to transition away from coal-fired power by 2030.

It would also mark Australia’s first new steel mill in more than 30 years and a first in Western Australia, against the backdrop of the embattled Whyalla Steelworks operation in SA.

Samsung Electronics officially introduced its newest generation of foldable smartphones Wednesday, unveiling the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 as part of what the company describes as its most complete foldable lineup to date, aimed at broadening the category’s appeal beyond its traditional user base.

The announcement, made in the United Kingdom, introduces three distinct devices built around different use cases: the Z Fold8 Ultra for maximum productivity, the standard Z Fold8 for immersive content discovery, and the Z Flip8 for quick, expressive everyday use. All three phones are available for preorder starting immediately in select markets.

A new tier for Samsung’s flagship foldable

The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra marks the first time Samsung has applied its “Ultra” branding, long reserved for the top tier of its Galaxy S smartphone line, to a foldable device. Samsung describes the Fold8 Ultra as its slimmest Z Fold design yet, measuring just 4.1 millimeters thick when unfolded and weighing 215 grams, while offering an 8-inch main display intended to function as a mobile workspace for multitasking.

TM Roh, chief executive officer, president and head of Samsung’s Device eXperience Division, framed the release around the growing role of artificial intelligence in mobile devices. “As AI becomes more agentic, mobile devices will become the most personal entry point to experiences that understand and adapt to each user,” Roh said. “By setting a new standard for foldables, we are once again advancing the premium mobile experience and opening the next era of intelligence to more people.”

What’s new on the Fold8 Ultra

The Fold8 Ultra’s camera system centers on a 200-megapixel main sensor, now enhanced with high dynamic range capability in its full-resolution mode, alongside a new 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom. The device supports 8K video recording through a new APV codec and includes Cine LUT tools for on-device color grading, features Samsung is positioning toward professional content creators.

Power comes from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform paired with a 5,000mAh battery, supported by a new dual-path 45W charging architecture and an expanded graphite cooling structure designed to maintain performance during demanding tasks. The device also introduces Samsung’s new Flex Titanium display structure, which combines a titanium-alloy film with a reinforced titanium plate to make the display support thinner while reducing crease visibility and refining the feel of the phone’s hinge mechanism.

A new form factor with the standard Fold8

Distinct from the Ultra model, the standard Galaxy Z Fold8 introduces a reworked form factor built around a 10:16 cover screen and a 4:3 main display, dimensions Samsung says are designed to match how people naturally consume content, whether checking messages on the cover screen or settling into games, films or long-form reading on the larger internal display. At 201 grams, Samsung says the Fold8 is the lightest Z Fold device the company has ever released, while still pairing the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip with a 4,800mAh battery.

The Fold8’s camera setup includes dual 50-megapixel wide and ultra-wide sensors, along with features such as Dual Recording, which lets users capture both sides of a moment simultaneously using the cover screen as a live preview, and My FanCam, which automatically tracks a selected subject and reframes footage for social media formats.

The Flip8’s redesigned interface

Rounding out the lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip8 becomes Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Flip device yet, weighing 180 grams with a thickness of 6.1 millimeters. The phone centers on a reimagined FlexWindow cover-screen interface built to surface relevant information and shortcuts without requiring users to open the phone, powered by a new “Now Brief” feature that delivers timely insights directly to the cover display.

The Flip8’s camera system includes a 50-megapixel main sensor paired with Samsung’s ProVisual Engine, along with Flex Mode for hands-free shooting and a Horizontal Lock option added to the device’s Super Steady video stabilization feature. The phone runs on Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 chip rather than the Snapdragon platform used in the two Fold models.

AI features across the lineup

All three devices ship with Samsung’s Galaxy AI software alongside Google’s Gemini Intelligence assistant, which Samsung says now supports app automation across more than 40 supported apps and services, covering tasks such as looking up tickets, finding nearby restaurants and making reservations. The company is also bundling a six-month free trial of Google AI Pro, which includes 5 terabytes of cloud storage, with new Galaxy Z series purchases.

Samsung has paired the AI rollout with new privacy and security tools, including an AI Assistant Activity dashboard in its One UI 9 software that gives users a centralized view of automated actions taken on their behalf, along with enhanced privacy alerts designed to flag unnecessary background permission requests before they become a concern.

Pricing, colors and availability

All three phones come in Graphite and Cream color options, with additional exclusive shades available depending on the model: Violet Shadow for the Fold8 Ultra, Lavender for the standard Fold8, and Pink for the Flip8, alongside online-exclusive colorways sold only through Samsung’s website. Samsung is also offering new trade-in and device migration tools aimed at easing the switch from iOS, including an updated Smart Switch feature that lets iPhone users transfer data by scanning a QR code, and expanded compatibility between Samsung’s Quick Share and Apple’s AirDrop for file sharing between the two platforms.

Samsung Care+ protection plans are also available for the new devices, with customers who enroll in a monthly plan through Samsung.com receiving their first three months of coverage at no additional cost.

With preorders open now in select markets, the release sets up a consequential stretch for Samsung’s mobile business as it looks to defend its position as the leading foldable smartphone maker ahead of rumored competition from Apple later this year. Whether the restructured three-tier foldable lineup, anchored by the new Ultra branding on the Fold8 Ultra, succeeds in broadening the foldable category’s appeal beyond its existing user base is likely to become clearer once the devices reach a wider range of markets and consumers in the weeks ahead.