Xiaomi will soon step unto American soil to tap the vast market of the U.S. The Chinese company announced on Thursday future plans to initially sell headphones, smart wristbands and other mobile accessories online.

However, it will not bring with it its signature Mi mobile phones, a Chinese favorite due to its low cost and dependence on user interaction and feedback.

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The company's humble beginnings are now history, having started five years ago from "out of nowhere" to becoming China's fastest-selling mobile brand, valued at $45 billion last December.

It has investors the likes of a Singapore sovereign wealth fund and a Jack Ma (co-founder and face of Alibaba Group Holding) private capital firm. Since then it has been growing through direct, online sales, led by Asian markets, with the most recent foray being India.

The leading smartphone firm in China showed great interest in Latin America, declaring that it is in talks to soon close a deal with a Brazil manufacturing partner.

This would be Xiaomi's first venture outside of Asia, and it is interesting to note that choosing Brazil was no accident or whim as doing so could help ease the blow of heavy tariffs on imported electronics.

Hugo Barra, Xiaomi global operations vice president, sees sales beginning as early as the first half of the year. In the next few months, Xiaomi would launch its first online sales site Mi.com in the U.S. to directly sell its mobile accessories, said Li Bin, Xiaomi's co-founder and president. It will hold off selling mobile devices due to the carrier-sales and phone subsidiary structure of the U.S.

Brand building is Xiaomi's biggest challenge in the U.S. for the moment. It sees user engagement and community building  as its best move before it begins competing in the mobile sales arena.

In the meantime, the Chinese mobile device powerhouse would focus on restructuring its MIUI Android-based OS for the American consumers and on obtaining the necessary certifications.

TagsAmerica, online sales, mobile accessories