Australian resources giant BHP said Monday it had dropped a bid to take over British rival Anglo American that would have created the world's largest miner of copper.

BHP made the approach just weeks before shareholders from Anglo and Teck vote on a merger deal BHP Group has walked away from a fresh takeover approach for Anglo American, ending an unexpected and short-lived attempt by the world's largest miner to thwart a planned tie-up between its smaller rival and Canada's Teck Resources.

BHP (BHP) said Sunday it is walking away from a last-ditch effort to buy Anglo American (OTCQX:AAUKF) (OTCQX:NGLOY), saying it is no longer pursuing a potential deal after surprise discussions with Anglo's board to try to thwart a planned merger between Anglo and Teck Resources (TECK).