HTS earns revenues from three crossings, one with Turkey and “Al-Sham Corps” controls the rest  

The areas of control in north-western Syria are linked through official and artificial crossings, and the nature of their work varies between humanitarian, commercial and military. This crossings are considered income for those factions and they are used to facilitate their own trade deals.

One of the most active crossings is the official Bab al-Hawa crossing, a trade route linking Turkey to HTS-controlled areas.

The border crossing is run by a civilian staff and is supervised by security official, close to the leader of Tahrir Al-Sham (Al-Joulani)

The goods are entering by merchants linked to a network of relations with security officials and emirs of Tahrir Al-Sham.

Syrian Observatory sources added that citizens were being smuggled and large sums were taken from them by influential people at the crossing. 

In opposition factions-controlled areas, the factions have set up two artificial crossings, the most important of which is al-Ghazawa crossing in Dara Izza, a commercial and military crossing, and it is supervised by Turkish-backed “Al-Sham Corps” from Afrin’s side, and HTS from Dara Izza’s side.

HTS imposes levies on transporting materials, factories and vehicles to areas controlled by Turkish-backed factions, while “Al-Sham Corps” allows these materials to enter free of charge.

There is also a humanitarian crossing for civilians in the area between Deir Alot, which is controlled by “Al-Sham Corps”, and the town of Atma, which is controlled by HTS.

Many crossings were linking regime-controlled areas to HTS-controlled areas, however, regime forces were able to control these crossings during their previous military operation. There is currently no crossing with regime forces in HTS-controlled areas.

A leader from Tahrir al-Sham spoke about the monthly revenues exceeding more than US$13 million from the crossings controlled by HTS.