History

It was no coincidence that Christian IV founded Kristiansand in 1641 right where it is located. Maritime trade had already been established, and the area where the city was located was strategically and centrally located. In the book Kristiansand stands and falls with its harbor, the first sentence starts with:

After Kristiansand was founded, the city quickly developed into an important market town in Norway, and port activity was high. In addition, the geographical location became central to the activities that characterize Kristiansand and the development of the port. The good harbor conditions meant that the Danish-Norwegian fleet controlled the Skagerrak, and the sea route between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, from Kristiansand. Furthermore, the city became central for a wide range of functions, whether it was as a quarantine station for the international shipping fleet, repairs of damaged ships, or the slightly more dramatic history as one of the country's foremost privateer cities. Together, this forms the historical backdrop for the port, and a city that has always looked outwards with international trade at its heart.

Today, Kristiansand is still characterized by an export-oriented business community with a world-leading process and offshore industry at the forefront. This industry is represented on the global arena by companies such as Glencore, Elkem, National Oilwell and HMH. At the same time, the city still bears the mark of the merchant culture that most southerners have. Society has changed, however, and the bustling commercial activity down on the quayside is now gone, replaced by modern import companies such as Netthandelen, which sells its goods throughout Norway via the internet.

With strong players on both the import and export side, the Port of Kristiansand achieves an almost directional balance across the quayside, constituting a significant competitive advantage and helping to create efficient logistics for the region's businesses.

In 2021, the Port of Kristiansand IKS was established, following a merger of the Port of Kristiansand and the Port of Lindesnes.