Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Ga Koht da kansa yakin basasa a Spain ya kusan kawo karshen aikinsa na majalisar ministoci a lokuta da dama. A ranar 9 ga Afrilu, 1937, bayan jerin abubuwan da suka faru inda jiragen ruwa na Francoist suka tsayar da jiragen ruwa na Norwegian da ke tafiya a tashar jiragen ruwa na Spain kuma suka kwace kaya da jiragen ruwa, da kuma zanga-zangar Norway da suka kasa samun sakamako, Koht ya gabatar da wata shawara ta musamman don aika da jirgin ruwan Norwegian "Olav Tryggvason" zuwa Spain don kare jiragen ruwa na Norwegian. Bayan da shawarar ta hadu da adawa a majalisa kuma an saita shi don kasawa, Koht ya ba da damar yin murabus. Firayim Minista Nygaardsvold ya ƙi karɓar murabus na Koht, yana mai cewa "zai fi dacewa a harbe shi fiye da rasa Koht". Wannan shari'ar ta kusan haifar da faduwar dukkanin majalisar a majalisar, kafin a amince da cewa za a sauke shi. Lokacin da Koht a cikin 1938 yayi ƙoƙarin kafa yarjejeniyar kasuwanci tare da Franco, jam'iyyarsa da Tarayyar Kungiyar Kwadago ta Norway sun toshe shi. Sake neman izinin yin murabus, Koht ya zauna bayan watanni na muhawara ya ƙare tare da jam'iyyar da ke ba da majalisar zartarwa kyauta don yin abin da ya gani mafi kyau game da cinikayya tare da Franco. A watan Oktoba na 1938 Koht ya tattauna yarjejeniyar kasuwanci tare da Franco. Norway ta amince da gwamnatin Franco a matsayin wakilin Spain a ranar 31 ga Maris, 1939, kwana uku bayan faduwar Madrid
zuwa ga sojojin kasa.