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,

Glencore approached Rio Tinto late last year about combining the two big copper producers but the discussions are no longer active, a person familiar with the matter said. The companies declined to comment.

A deal aimed at capturing a bigger slice of the metals market, the proposed $160 billion merger of Rio Tinto a Glencore appears doomed to fail