After weathering the financial and economic crisis that crippled global trade, the Panama Canal expects to see a modest rise in revenue this year as the recovery takes time to filter through to the shipping industry, Dow Jones reported.

"This year will be flat, it will be very similar in terms of volume," Alberto Aleman, the chief executive of the Panama Canal Authority said. "We are seeing the same tonnage."

The Canal's revenues fell to US$1.96 billion in the fiscal year 2009 ?C which ran from October 2008 to September 2009 ?C down from $2.01 billion in 2008. The forecast for this year is $2.02 billion, Aleman said.