China is probing the influence of the $76bn Glencore-Xstrata tie-up in the copper market, opening the door for Beijing to seek remedies from the world’s largest trading house and the miner before it approves the deal.

Ivan Glasenberg, Glencore chief executive, for the first time revealed that Beijing was looking at the market share that the combined company would have in copper concentrates, the ore used to produce copper metal. The powerful Chinese Ministry of Commerce, or Mofcom, is responsible for the review. “The Chinese, being a big importer of commodities, want to look at it carefully,” Mr Glasenberg said.

“We are trying to find a solution,” he said, adding that a deal in China could involve measures similar to those adopted to win the approval of European antitrust regulators. Brussels will force Glencore to break some supply contracts in zinc.