Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Cotton futures rose the most in three weeks on speculation that demand will increase in China, the worldΆs biggest importer.

Industrial output in China expanded at the fastest pace in 17 months in August, and the broadest measure of new credit almost doubled from July, signaling the economy is rebounding. On Aug. 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the Asian nationΆs cotton imports will tumble 46 percent in the 12 months that started Aug. 1 from a year earlier.

“ChinaΆs economic data is helping ideas that demand there will be better than thought,” Jack Scoville, a vice president for Price Futures Group in Chicago, said in a telephone interview.

Cotton for December delivery climbed 1.2 percent to settle at 84.47 cents a pound at 2:30 p.m. on ICE Futures U.S. in New York, the biggest advance for a most-active contract since Aug. 16.