Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NAT) – (NYSE: NAT) Announces Distribution of “PFIC” Tax Information

Hamilton, Bermuda, March 17, 2005:   
 
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited (NYSE: “NAT”) announced that it is distributing “PFIC Information Statements” to its shareholders.  The PFIC Information Statement provides United States shareholders with information so that they may report their share of NAT’s income during the year ended December 31, 2004, in the event that they have elected to treat NAT as a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”) under the applicable provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code.  A copy of the PFIC Information Statement is being filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under cover of a Form 6-K on March 17, 2005, and will be accessible on the SEC’s Edgar website at www.sec.gov.  The Company will also place a copy of the PFIC Information Statement on its website: www.nat.bm.
 
NAT’s Common Shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NAT”.
 
 
 
 
Contact:   Rolf Amundsen
Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd.
Tel: +1 800 601 9079 or +47 908 26 906