NAT files registration statement

Hamilton, Bermuda, August 11, 2004: Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (AMEX: NAT, OSE: NAT) today announced that it has filed a “universal shelf registration statement” with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for potential issuances of securities with maximum gross proceeds of U.S.$500 million.
 
The “universal  shelf registration statement” can be read on our web site: www.nat.bm  on Investor Relations under SEC Filings.
 
Additional Information
 
The Company has filed a registration statement, including a prospectus and other related documents, on Form F-3 with the SEC in connection with the offering described in this press release.  This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
 
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements.  The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business.  Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.
 
The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “except,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” “may,” “should,” “expect” “pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.
 
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties.  Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.
 
In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC’s petroleum production levels and world wide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company  with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 20-F.
 
Contacts:
 
Rolf Amundsen
Investor Relations
Tel US& Canada: 1-800-601-9079 or other countries: +47 90 82 69 06
 
or
 
Scandic American Shipping Ltd
POB 56
3201 Sandefjord, Norway
Tel: +47 90 14 62 91

www.scandicamerican.com