<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>d496322_ex9912-1.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 12.1
<TEXT>

Exhibit 12.1 CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
             --------------------------------------------

I, Herbjorn Hansson, certify that:

1. I have  reviewed this annual  report on Form 20-F of Nordic  American  Tanker
Shipping Ltd.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.  Based  on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
information  included  in this annual  report,  fairly  present in all  material
respects the financial  condition,  results of operations  and cash flows of the
company as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4.  The  Company's  other  certification  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have:

a) designed such disclosure  controls and procedures,  or caused such disclosure
controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to ensure that
material  information  relating  to  the  company,  including  its  consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,  particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared; and

b)  evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  company's  disclosure  controls  and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions  about the effectiveness
of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation.

5. The Company's other certification  officer and I have disclosed,  based on my
most recent  evaluation of internal  control over  financial  reporting,  to the
company's  auditors and the audit  committee of the company's board of directors
(or persons performing the equivalent function):

a) all  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the  design  or
operation of internal  control over  financial  reporting  which are  reasonably
likely to adversely affect the company's ability to record,  process,  summarize
and report financial information; and

b) any  fraud,  whether  or not  material,  that  involves  management  or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's  internal control over
financial reporting.

Date: June 30, 2004


/s/ Herbjorn Hansson

Herbjorn Hansson
Chief Executive Officer

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
