Glencore & Rio Tinto Resume Talks for Record‑Sized Mining Merger

On 8 January 2026, Glencore and Rio Tinto announced they had resumed preliminary merger talks, potentially creating the world’s largest mining company. The deal could involve an all‑share merger or Rio Tinto acquiring Glencore via a court‑sanctioned scheme. Rio Tinto must declare a firm offer by 5 pm on 5 February 2026 or walk away. The talks come amid record commodity prices, especially copper and rare‑earth minerals, and follow the Anglo American‑Teck Resources merger that intensified industry consolidation. Both firms are headquartered in the UK and Australia, respectively, and the merger would reshape global mining dynamics.