Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. He is coauthor of “The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources.”

Live market coverage co-anchored from Hong Kong and New York. Overnight on Wall Street is daytime in Asia. Markets never sleep, and neither does Bloomberg.

Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) -2.3% in Thursday's trading following a Bloomberg report that the company has been discussing a potential business combination with Glencore (OTCPK:GLCNF) (OTCPK:GLNCY), in what could result in the mining industry's largest-ever deal and have the potential to reshape the global mining landscape.

Rio Tinto (NYSE, LSE, ASX: RIO) and Glencore (LSE GLEN) have been discussing combining their businesses, according to people familiar with the matter,Bloomberg reported.  The Australian mining giant and

Rio Tinto Group shares fell as much as 1.8% in Sydney after Bloomberg News earlier reported the world’s second-biggest miner held early-stage talks with Glencore Plc about a deal.Most Read from BloombergThese Homes Withstood the LA Fires.

The London-listed mining giants have held early-stage discussions about a combination of the two businesses, Bloomberg reported last night.

Rio Tinto Group and Glencore Plc have been discussing combining their businesses, according to people familiar with the matter, in what could result in the mining industry’s largest-ever deal.Most Read from BloombergThese Homes Withstood the LA Fires.

When Glencore Plc proposed a combination with Rio Tinto Group a decade ago, the larger company turned it down after just a few days. News this week that the two spent several months in negotiations in the second half of last year shows how the sands have shifted,

Rio Tinto (RIO) and Glencore (GLNCY) have been discussing combining their businesses, Thomas Biesheuvel, Dinesh Nair and Archie Hunter of

Rio Tinto and Glencore reportedly held talks about a potential merger late last year, but the talks are no longer active, a source revealed to Bloomberg.

Mining giants Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) (LSE:RIO, ASX:RIO, OTC:RTNTF) and Glencore PLC (LSE:LON: GLEN) have reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions about a potential merger, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Group and Glencore Plc (OTC:GLNCY) are reportedly in early-stage discussions about a potential combination, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources close to the matter.