A new batch of preliminary data from the INSEE statistics agency released on Friday showed that the French economy grew significantly more than analysts had expected in the second quarter, as exports began to accelerate.

In an interview with RTL radio, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said, “We see that for the first time, French growth is driven by exports, by corporate investment much more than by household consumption.”

He added, “This shows once more that our production engine is running well and efficiently.”

In its quarterly GDP report, INSEE said the second-biggest economy in the Eurozone grew 0.5% in the three months concluding at the end of June, after a revised 0.1% expansion in the first quarter.

In a Reuters survey of 29 economists, predictions for the quarter ranged from 0.3% to negative 0.1% with the average forecast being for 0.1%.

In the second quarter, growth in exports increased to 2.6% from a 0.8% reduction in the first quarter. Imports increase 0.4% compared to negative 2.0%.