# UTC Coordinated Universal Time

*Last updated: 2026-06-26*

> A vessel departs Singapore at 23:15 local time – so that the port authority in Rotterdam, the customs system in Hamburg, and the consignee's tracking platform all read the same timestamp, the logistics industry relies on UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

A vessel departs Singapore at 23:15 local time – so that the port authority in Rotterdam, the customs system in Hamburg, and the consignee's tracking platform all read the same timestamp, the logistics industry relies on UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). UTC is the globally accepted time standard with no daylight saving adjustments, and it serves as the common reference for timestamps on bills of lading, customs entries, AIS vessel positions, and EDI messages across all transport modes. Logistics platforms and customs IT systems store all time data internally in UTC, converting to local time zones only at the point of display. In everyday freight practice, UTC and GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) are often treated as interchangeable, though they are technically distinct.

**Source:** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | UTC Coordinated Universal Time |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 121 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-26 |
| Source | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time |

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