1st LD: Euro falls to parity with USD, hitting 20-year low

FRANKFURT, July 12 (Xinhua) -- For the first time in two decades, the euro on Tuesday falls to parity with the U.S. dollar, meaning one U.S. dollar is equal in value to one euro.

The single currency of 19 European Union countries has not fallen to or below a one-to-one exchange rate with the U.S. dollar since December 2002.

The euro continued to fall from Tuesday morning and traded at par with the U.S. do