The suspension was “due to a request for information made on August 13 by the Commission which has not been fulfilled by the parties”, the Commission said. It has already expressed concern over the strength of a combined company in the iron ore, uranium, coal and aluminium markets.

The European Commission said it had stopped the clock on its investigation of BHP Billiton’s plans to acquire rival Rio Tinto as it was waiting for more information from the mining giant before it could proceed.

The delay means that any final decision is unlikely to be taken before the end of this year, extending further the prolonged takeover battle. Australian regulators have also expressed concern over the impact the proposed deal could have on the iron ore market.

“Suspensions are a normal part of phase two investigations under the EC merger regulations,” BHP said, adding that it was working to provide the requested information.

“BHP Billiton remains confident that all the regulatory preconditions for its offer for Rio Tinto can be satisfied,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Chinalco, which has said it may be interested in increasing its stake in Rio, said it would not buy into its predator.

“I have no such plan,” Chinalco president Xiao Yaqing said. However, he said of other potential acquisitions: “I’ve got the money in my pocket. The question is when’s the proper time to buy, because we have prepared enough money to buy sufficient stocks. Now, the world economy is uncertain.”

The company also pledged to separate its core aluminium operations from its copper businesses, which could be packaged together and separately listed, Mr Xiao said. However, no decision had been made over the timing or location of such a move, he added.

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