Glencore

Sources expect the miner to sell the material to the US under Project Vault, an initiative to stockpile critical minerals

The idea of a combination of the two companies has been discussed several times over more than a decade

China’s antitrust regulator is likely to be concerned about a combined entity’s concentration in copper production and marketing

The company’s CEO is also nearing the end of his tenure, potentially hindering the negotiation of a transformational deal

The idea of a combination of the two companies has been discussed several times over more than a decade

Both companies own some of the best copper mines in the world

Deliberations are ongoing, and details of the deal, including the investments, may change

The country’s metals processing sector has also been under pressure from high energy and labour costs

Prices of key commodities iron ore and coal have dropped around 13% since the start of the year