市舶司的设立,使得丝绸出口更加规范化和规模化。以往,高级丝绸多通过朝贡贸易或少量走私流出。现在,持有“公凭”的商船,可以合法地、大批量地装载丝绸出海。为了适应长途运输和不同市场的喜好,专门的外销丝绸品类被开发出来: lighter but still lustrous silks for the tropical markets of Southeast Asia, heavier brocades and embroidered silks for the courts of Persia and Byzantium, and even silks with patterns tailored to Islamic sensibilities (avoiding human and animal figures in some cases, focusing on geometric and floral designs).