SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Brazilian steelmaker CSN jumped into the bidding Friday for Britain's Corus Group PLC, offering about $8 billion for Europe's second largest steelmaker.

The bid tops a rival offer from India's Tata Steel Ltd. for Corus valued at about $7.7 billion, and sent Corus shares soaring on speculation that Tata would raise its bid or that other companies might enter the contest.

The Brazilian company, Companhia Siderurgica Nacional SA, said it has offered 475 pence ($8.97) a share in cash for Corus. Corus last month agreed to an offer of 455 pence a share from the Indian company.

CSN said its bid for Corus would have no impact on its effort to acquire U.S.-based steelmaker Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corp. Wheeling-Pitt shareholders voted Friday on the bid by CSN and a rival plan submitted by Esmark Inc. Esmark claimed victory, but results were not expected until Saturday.

The offer for Corus is almost certain to prompt Tata to raise its bid for Corus, or could herald the entry of other bidders amid a wave of consolidation among the world's steelmakers, analysts said.

Corus acknowledged receiving an offer from CSN, saying it would comment in more detail "in due course" without elaborating. Tata didn't immediately issue a comment.

The combination of CSN and Corus would create a global steel company with 24 million tons of annual steel production, while giving CSN production of 50 million tons of iron ore by 2010.

The bid followed Mittal Steel Co. NV's $33.4 billion stock offer for Arcelor SA in a deal that the companies expect to complete by June, creating the world's biggest steel maker.

Steelmakers say consolidation will give them better pricing power for their products and in some cases better leverage suppliers of producers of key raw ingredients for making steel, like coking coal and iron ore. Prices of steel have skyrocketed in recent years amid rapidly rising demand, much of it from China.

Corus had been seeking a linkup with a partner, and said the friendly merger with Tata Steel made good business sense while representing value to shareholders.

A combination between CSN and Corus would produce 24 million tons of steel annually and about 50 million tons of iron ore 2010. CSN said the new company would be among the world's top five steel producers.

CSN's American depository shares fell $1.15, or nearly 4 percent, to $30.15 on the New York Stock Exchange after the offer was announced. Corus's American depository shares rose nearly 8 percent, or $1.41 to $19.09.

Corus shareholders are scheduled to vote on the Tata offer on Dec. 4.