THE Panama Canal Authority (ACP) anticipates that next year will bring a rise in traffic for the second year running as international trade continues to recover with the world economy.

The ACP is forecasting that net tonnage of ships passing between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans will hit 305 million tons in fiscal 2011, up from 300.1 million tons the previous year.

ACP administrator Alberto Aleman was quoted as saying in a Dow Jones report, "I do believe that still this is going to be a slow recovery in world economics," he said.