higher in the first half of the year , but declined dur- ing the second half of the year reflecting the pass- through to customers of lower resin input costs .however , average margins benefitted from a more favorable mix of products sold .raw material costs were lower , primarily for resins .freight costs were also favorable , while operating costs increased .shorewood sales volumes in 2009 declined from 2008 levels reflecting weaker demand in the home entertainment segment and a decrease in tobacco segment orders as customers have shifted pro- duction outside of the united states , partially offset by higher shipments in the consumer products segment .average sales margins improved reflecting a more favorable mix of products sold .raw material costs were higher , but were partially offset by lower freight costs .operating costs were favorable , reflect- ing benefits from business reorganization and cost reduction actions taken in 2008 and 2009 .charges to restructure operations totaled $ 7 million in 2009 and $ 30 million in 2008 .entering 2010 , coated paperboard sales volumes are expected to increase , while average sales price real- izations should be comparable to 2009 fourth-quarter levels .raw material costs are expected to be sig- nificantly higher for wood , energy and chemicals , but planned maintenance downtime costs will decrease .foodservice sales volumes are expected to remain about flat , but average sales price realizations should improve slightly .input costs for resins should be higher , but will be partially offset by lower costs for bleached board .shorewood sales volumes are expected to decline reflecting seasonal decreases in home entertainment segment shipments .operating costs are expected to be favorable reflecting the benefits of business reorganization efforts .european consumer packaging net sales in 2009 were $ 315 million compared with $ 300 million in 2008 and $ 280 million in 2007 .operating earnings in 2009 of $ 66 million increased from $ 22 million in 2008 and $ 30 million in 2007 .sales volumes in 2009 were higher than in 2008 reflecting increased ship- ments to export markets .average sales margins declined due to increased shipments to lower- margin export markets and lower average sales prices in western europe .entering 2010 , sales volumes for the first quarter are expected to remain strong .average margins should improve reflecting increased sales price realizations and a more favorable geographic mix of products sold .input costs are expected to be higher due to increased wood prices in poland and annual energy tariff increases in russia .asian consumer packaging net sales were $ 545 million in 2009 compared with $ 390 million in 2008 and $ 330 million in 2007 .operating earnings in 2009 were $ 24 million compared with a loss of $ 13 million in 2008 and earnings of $ 12 million in 2007 .the improved operating earnings in 2009 reflect increased sales volumes , higher average sales mar- gins and lower input costs , primarily for chemicals .the loss in 2008 was primarily due to a $ 12 million charge to revalue pulp inventories at our shandong international paper and sun coated paperboard co. , ltd .joint venture and start-up costs associated with the joint venture 2019s new folding box board paper machine .distribution xpedx , our distribution business , markets a diverse array of products and supply chain services to cus- tomers in many business segments .customer demand is generally sensitive to changes in general economic conditions , although the commercial printing segment is also dependent on consumer advertising and promotional spending .distribution 2019s margins are relatively stable across an economic cycle .providing customers with the best choice and value in both products and supply chain services is a key competitive factor .additionally , efficient customer service , cost-effective logistics and focused working capital management are key factors in this segment 2019s profitability .distribution in millions 2009 2008 2007 .
[['in millions', '2009', '2008', '2007'], ['sales', '$ 6525', '$ 7970', '$ 7320'], ['operating profit', '50', '103', '108']]
distribution 2019s 2009 annual sales decreased 18% ( 18 % ) from 2008 and 11% ( 11 % ) from 2007 while operating profits in 2009 decreased 51% ( 51 % ) compared with 2008 and 54% ( 54 % ) compared with 2007 .annual sales of printing papers and graphic arts supplies and equipment totaled $ 4.1 billion in 2009 compared with $ 5.2 billion in 2008 and $ 4.7 billion in 2007 , reflecting weak economic conditions in 2009 .trade margins as a percent of sales for printing papers increased from 2008 but decreased from 2007 due to a higher mix of lower margin direct ship- ments from manufacturers .revenue from packaging products was $ 1.3 billion in 2009 compared with $ 1.7 billion in 2008 and $ 1.5 billion in 2007 .trade margins as a percent of sales for packaging products were higher than in the past two years reflecting an improved product and service mix .facility supplies annual revenue was $ 1.1 billion in 2009 , essentially .

Question: what was the percentage decrease in annual sales of printing papers and graphic arts supplies and equipment from 2008 to 2009?
Answer: 21%