The new tax on imported goods purchased from e-commerce sites will not affect Chinese travelers who buy abroad, the Ministry of Finance said on Saturday.

Shoppers had expressed concern that a new tax on foreign products, which went into effect on Friday, would spell trouble for outbound tourists. However, the ministry said the fears stemmed from confusion.

"The new policy targets e-commerce, not individual outbound tourists," People's Daily quoted an unidentified ministry official as saying.