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epa04942712 The exterior of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seen in Washington, DC, USA 21 September 2015. Volkswagen's (VW) stock was down 20 per cent at 129.7 euros (146 dollars) in trading on the Frankfurt share market after US environmental protection authorities threatened to impose fines of up to 18 billion dollars. The German government called on the nation's leading carmakers on 21 September to demonstrate that they have not manipulated their emission tests in the nation following Volkswagen's weekend admission that it had regularly cheated on US air pollution results. The German government asked the country's car manufacturers to present 'reliable information' to the Federal Motor Transport Authority in order to establish whether any manipulation of exhaust tests had taken place, a spokesman for the environment ministry said. VW's admission that it had cheated on its US exhaust tests has sent shockwaves across Germany's powerful auto sector with German Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel lashing out at VW's action as 'the worst case.' EPA/JIM LO SCALZO