Financial report context:
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 .

Financial table:
in millions: sales; 2009: $ 6525; 2008: $ 7970; 2007: $ 7320
in millions: operating profit; 2009: 50; 2008: 103; 2007: 108

Additional report context:
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%