NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS Ltd 6-K, filed Oct 2, 2023
NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS Ltd (NAT)
6-K
2023-10-02
For: 2023-10-31
View Original
Added on
April 09, 2026
About this 6-K
NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS Ltd filed this 6-K on October 2, 2023.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of October 2023
Commission File Number: 001-13944
NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
Swan Building, 26 Victoria Street, Hamilton, HM 12, Bermuda
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
Attached as Exhibit 1 is a press release of Nordic American Tankers Limited (the "Company") dated October 2, 2023, announcing the date for the
Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
Attached as Exhibit 2 is the notice of the Annual General Meeting, the Proxy Statement and the Proxy Card for the Annual General Meeting of
Shareholders of the Company, which will be held on November 16, 2023.
This Report on Form 6-K is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-261630), filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission with an effective date of February 14, 2022.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
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(registrant)
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Dated: October 2, 2023
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By:
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/S/ HERBJØRN HANSSON
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Herbjørn Hansson
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Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer
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Exhibit 1
Nordic American Tankers Ltd (NYSE: NAT) – 2023 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM)
Monday, October 2, 2023
Dear Shareholders and Investors,
Please be informed that the date of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT) has been set to
November 16, 2023.
The record date is September 25, 2023, for the determination of the NAT shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote
at the AGM or any adjournment thereof.
The Notice of the Meeting and the Proxy Statement will be available with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on a form
6-K post-market today, October 2, 2023.
For contacts, please see at the end of this communication.
Best regards,
Herbjorn Hansson
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Nordic American Tankers Ltd.
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,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “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. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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 worldwide 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, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus
supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K.
Contacts:
Bjørn Giæver, CFO
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +1 888 755 8391
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +1 888 755 8391
Alexander Kihle, Finance Manager
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +47 91 724 171
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +47 91 724 171
Exhibit 2
Nordic American Tankers Limited
October 2, 2023
TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
Enclosed is a Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Nordic American Tankers
Limited (the “Company”) and related materials. The Annual General Meeting will be held at Le Castellara, 9, avenue J.F Kennedy, 98000 Monaco on November 16, 2023, at 3:00 pm Monaco time / 10:00 a.m. Bermuda time (the “Meeting”).
At the Meeting, the shareholders of the Company will consider and vote upon agenda item 1 and 2
below:
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To elect a total of four directors to serve until the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, (“Proposal One”);
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To approve the appointment of KPMG AS as the Company’s independent auditors until the close of the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“Proposal Two”);
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To lay before the shareholders the Company’s audited financial statements for the year-ended December 31, 2022, of which the balance sheet has been signed by two directors;
and
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
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Approval of Proposals One and Two requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at
the Meeting, either in person or by proxy. We urge you to vote in favor of all of the Proposals.
You are cordially invited to attend the Meeting in person. If you attend the Meeting, you may
revoke your proxy and vote your shares in person.
The Company’s 2022 Annual Report is available on the Company’s website at www.nat.bm. Any shareholder may receive a hard copy of the Company’s 2022 Annual Report free of charge upon request.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE
REPRESENTED AND VOTED AT THE MEETING. ACCORDINGLY, IF YOU HAVE ELECTED TO RECEIVE YOUR PROXY MATERIALS BY MAIL, PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD. IF YOU RECEIVED YOUR PROXY MATERIALS OVER THE INTERNET, PLEASE VOTE BY INTERNET OR BY
TELEPHONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE IN THE MAIL. IF YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REVOKE YOUR PROXY AND VOTE IN
PERSON.
ANY SIGNED PROXY RETURNED AND NOT COMPLETED WILL BE VOTED BY MANAGEMENT IN FAVOR OF ALL PROPOSALS
PRESENTED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT.
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Very truly yours,
Herbjørn Hansson
Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
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NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 16, 2023
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of Nordic
American Tankers Limited (the “Company”) will be held on November 16, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Bermuda time at Le Castellara, 9, avenue J.F Kennedy, 98000 Monaco for the following purposes, of which items 1, 2, and 3 are more completely set forth in the
accompanying Proxy Statement:
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To elect a total of four directors to serve until the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“Proposal One”);
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To approve the appointment of KPMG AS as the Company’s independent auditors until the close of the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (“Proposal Two”);
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To lay before the shareholders the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, of which the balance sheet has been signed by two directors;
and
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
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The Company’s board of directors has fixed the close of business on September 25, 2023 as the
record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to receive notice and to vote at the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
All shareholders must present a form of personal photo identification in order to be admitted to
the Meeting. In addition, if your shares are held in the name of your broker, bank, or other nominee and you wish to attend the Meeting, you must bring an account statement or letter from the broker, bank, or other nominee indicating that you were
the owner of the shares on September 25, 2023, the record date of the Meeting.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE
REPRESENTED AND VOTED AT THE MEETING. ACCORDINGLY, IF YOU HAVE ELECTED TO RECEIVE YOUR PROXY MATERIALS BY MAIL, PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD. IF YOU RECEIVED YOUR PROXY MATERIALS OVER THE INTERNET, PLEASE VOTE BY INTERNET OR BY
TELEPHONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THE NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE IN THE MAIL. IF YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO REVOKE YOUR PROXY AND VOTE IN
PERSON.
ANY SIGNED PROXY RETURNED AND NOT COMPLETED WILL BE VOTED BY MANAGEMENT IN FAVOR OF ALL PROPOSALS
PRESENTED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT.
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By Order Of The Board Of Directors
Bjørn Giaever
Secretary
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October 2, 2023
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda
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NORDIC AMERICAN TANKERS LIMITED
__________________________
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 16, 2023
FOR
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 16, 2023
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INFORMATION CONCERNING SOLICITATION AND VOTING
GENERAL
The enclosed proxy is solicited on behalf of the board of directors (the “Board” or the
“Directors”) of Nordic American Tankers Limited, a Bermuda company (the “Company”), for use at the Company’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held at Le Castellara, 9, avenue J.F Kennedy, 98000 Monaco on November 16, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
Bermuda time, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof (the “Meeting”), for the purposes set forth herein and in the accompanying Notice of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
VOTING RIGHTS AND OUTSTANDING SHARES
On September 25, 2023 (the “Record Date”), the Company had issued and outstanding 208,796,444
common shares, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Shares”). Each shareholder of record at the close of business on the Record Date is entitled to one vote for each Common Share then held. One or more shareholders representing at least one-third
of the total voting rights of the Company present in person or by proxy at the Meeting shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of the Meeting. The Common Shares represented by any proxy in the enclosed form will be voted in accordance with the
instructions given on the proxy if the proxy is properly executed and is received by the Company prior to the close of voting at the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Any proxies returned without instructions will be voted FOR the
proposals set forth on the Notice of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
The Common Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “NAT.”
REVOCABILITY OF PROXIES
A shareholder giving a proxy may revoke it at any time before it is exercised. A proxy may be
revoked by filing with the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s registered office, Swan Building, 26 Victoria Street, Hamilton, Bermuda, a written notice of revocation by a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or by attending the Meeting
and voting in person.
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PROPOSAL ONE
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
As provided in the Company’s Bye-laws, each Director serves until the next annual general meeting,
and shall hold office until his successor is elected or appointed or until his earlier resignation or removal. The terms of the Directors expire at the Meeting. The Board has nominated the (4) four persons listed below for election as Directors at
the Meeting.
Set forth below is information concerning each nominee for Director.
Unless the proxy is marked to indicate that such authorization is expressly withheld, the persons
named in the enclosed proxy intend to vote the shares authorized thereby FOR the four nominees. It is expected that each of these nominees listed below will be able to serve, but if before the election it develops that any of the nominees are
unavailable, the persons named in the accompanying proxy will vote for the election of such substitute nominee or nominees as the current Board may recommend.
Nominees for Election to The Company’s Board of Directors
Information concerning the nominees for Director is set forth below:
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Name
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Position
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Herbjørn Hansson
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Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
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Jim Kelly
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Director
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Alexander Hansson
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Director
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Jenny Chu
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Director & Audit Committee Chair
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The biographies of the Company’s nominee Directors and Officers are as follows:
Herbjørn Hansson earned his M.B.A. at the Norwegian
School of Economics and Business Administration and attended Harvard Business School. In 1974 he was employed by the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association. In the period from 1975 to 1980, he was Chief Economist and Research Manager of INTERTANKO, an
industry association whose members control about 70% of the world’s independently owned tanker fleet, excluding state owned and oil company fleets. During the 1980s, he was Chief Financial Officer of Kosmos/Anders Jahre, at the time one of the
largest Norwegian based shipping and industry groups. In 1989, Mr. Hansson founded Ugland Nordic Shipping AS, or UNS, which became one of the world’s largest owners of specialized shuttle tankers. He served as Chairman in the first phase and as
Chief Executive Officer as from 1993 to 2001 when UNS, under his management, was sold to Teekay Shipping Corporation, or Teekay, for an enterprise value of $780.0 million. He continued to work with Teekay, recently as Vice Chairman of Teekay Norway
AS, until he started working full-time for the Company on September 1, 2004. Mr. Hansson is the founder and has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since its establishment in 1995. He also has been a member of various governing
bodies of companies within shipping, insurance, banking, manufacturing, national/international shipping agencies including classification societies and protection and indemnity associations. Mr. Hansson is fluent in Norwegian and English, and has a
command of German and French for conversational purposes.
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Jim Kelly has been a director of the Company since June
2010. He has been a member of the NAT Audit Committee from February 2012 till May 2022. The last 2 years of his tenure in the Audit Committee he served as the Chair of the Committee. Mr. Kelly has worked for Time Inc., the world’s largest magazine
publisher, since 1978. He served as Foreign Editor during the fall of the Soviet Union and the first Gulf War, and was named Deputy Managing Editor in 1996. In 2001, Mr. Kelly became the magazine’s managing editor, and during his tenure the
magazine won a record four National Magazine awards. In 2004, Time Magazine received its first EMMA for its contribution to the ABC News Series “Iraq: Where Things Stand.” In late 2006, Mr. Kelly became
the managing editor of all of Time Inc., helping supervise the work of more than 2,000 journalists working at 125 titles, including Fortune, Money, Sports Illustrated and People.
Since 2009, Mr. Kelly has worked as a consultant at Bloomberg LP and taught at Princeton and Columbia Universities.
Alexander Hansson has been a Director of the Company
since November 2019. He is an investor in various markets globally and has made several successful investments in both listed and privately held companies. Mr. Hansson is the son of the Company’s Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and
President and he has built a network over the last 20 years in the shipping and finance sector. He has operated shipping and trading offices in London and Monaco. He studied at EBS Regents College in London, United Kingdom.
Jenny Chu was appointed to the board of Nordic American
Tankers Ltd on April 4th 2022 and has served as a member and chair of our Audit Committee since May 12, 2022. Ms Chu is a US citizen, born in South-Korea, with more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry working
with wealth planning for ultra-high net worth individuals in Morgan Stanley, UBS, JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She was Managing Director at JP Morgan Securities and Senior Vice President for Merrill Lynch both in Century City. She
is currently Head of Global Business Development in The Boars’ Club, a by-invitation private international investment club for principals of single family offices. She is a director at the Korean American Chamber of Commerce, member of the Korea
Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and several other director- and memberships. Ms Chu knows and has been a close contact for NAT for many years and she brings valuable knowledge, experience and network to NAT, both in the US and in Asia.
Audit Committee. In accordance with the rules of the
NYSE, the Board has established an Audit Committee consisting of a single independent Director, Jenny Chu. Ms. Chu serves as the audit committee financial expert.
Executive Officers. Mr. Hansson serves as the Company’s
Founder, President, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer. Bjorn Giaever is the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary.
Required Vote. Approval of Proposal One requires the
affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting.
Effect of abstentions. Abstentions will not affect the
vote on Proposal One.
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED DIRECTORS. UNLESS REVOKED AS
PROVIDED ABOVE, PROXIES RECEIVED BY MANAGEMENT WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOR OF ALL SUCH PROPOSED DIRECTORS UNLESS A CONTRARY VOTE IS SPECIFIED.
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PROPOSAL TWO
APPROVAL OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
The Board is submitting for approval at the Meeting of the appointment of KPMG AS as the Company’s
independent auditors for the ensuing year until the close of the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. The Board will also lay before the Meeting the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022. These
financial statements are included in the Company’s 2022 Annual Report which is available on the Company’s website at www.nat.bm. Any shareholder may receive a hard copy of the Company’s 2022 Annual Report
free of charge upon request.
KPMG AS has advised the Company that the firm does not have any direct or indirect financial
interest in the Company, nor has such firm had any such interest in connection with the Company during the past three fiscal years.
All services rendered by the independent auditors are subject to review by the Audit Committee.
Required Vote. Approval of Proposal Two will require the
affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting, either in person or by proxy.
Effect of abstentions. Abstentions will not affect the
vote on Proposal Two.
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG AS AS INDEPENDENT
AUDITORS OF THE COMPANY FOR THE ENSUING YEAR UNTIL THE CLOSE OF THE NEXT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. UNLESS REVOKED AS PROVIDED ABOVE, PROXIES RECEIVED BY MANAGEMENT WILL BE VOTED IN FAVOR OF SUCH APPROVAL UNLESS A CONTRARY VOTE IS SPECIFIED.
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SOLICITATION
The cost of preparing and soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. Solicitation will be
made primarily by mail, but shareholders may be solicited by telephone, e-mail, or personal contact. The Board has retained Okapi Partners LLC as proxy solicitor in connection with the Meeting. If you have any questions or need assistance in voting
your proxy, please contact Okapi Partners at the toll-free number or email address listed below.
Okapi Partners LLC
1212 Avenue of the Americas – 17th Floor
New York, NY 10036
(212) 297-0720
Toll Free: (877) 274-8654
info@okapipartners.com
1212 Avenue of the Americas – 17th Floor
New York, NY 10036
(212) 297-0720
Toll Free: (877) 274-8654
info@okapipartners.com
OTHER MATTERS
No other matters are expected to be presented for action at the Meeting.
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By Order of the Directors
Bjørn Giaever
Secretary |
October 2, 2023
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda
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