the company recorded equity earnings , net of taxes , related to ilim of $ 290 million in 2018 , compared with earnings of $ 183 million in 2017 , and $ 199 million in 2016 . operating results recorded in 2018 included an after-tax non-cash foreign exchange loss of $ 82 million , compared with an after-tax foreign exchange gain of $ 15 million in 2017 and an after-tax foreign exchange gain of $ 25 million in 2016 , primarily on the remeasurement of ilim's u.s . dollar denominated net debt . ilim delivered outstanding performance in 2018 , driven largely by higher price realization and strong demand . sales volumes for the joint venture increased year over year for shipments to china of softwood pulp and linerboard , but were offset by decreased sales of hardwood pulp to china . sales volumes in the russian market increased for softwood pulp and hardwood pulp , but decreased for linerboard . average sales price realizations were significantly higher in 2018 for sales of softwood pulp , hardwood pulp and linerboard to china and other export markets . average sales price realizations in russian markets increased year over year for all products . input costs were higher in 2018 , primarily for wood , fuel and chemicals . distribution costs were negatively impacted by tariffs and inflation . the company received cash dividends from the joint venture of $ 128 million in 2018 , $ 133 million in 2017 and $ 58 million in entering the first quarter of 2019 , sales volumes are expected to be lower than in the fourth quarter of 2018 , due to the seasonal slowdown in china and fewer trading days . based on pricing to date in the current quarter , average sales prices are expected to decrease for hardwood pulp , softwood pulp and linerboard to china . input costs are projected to be relatively flat , while distribution costs are expected to increase . equity earnings - gpip international paper recorded equity earnings of $ 46 million on its 20.5% ( 20.5 % ) ownership position in gpip in 2018 . the company received cash dividends from the investment of $ 25 million in 2018 . liquidity and capital resources overview a major factor in international paper 2019s liquidity and capital resource planning is its generation of operating cash flow , which is highly sensitive to changes in the pricing and demand for our major products . while changes in key cash operating costs , such as energy , raw material , mill outage and transportation costs , do have an effect on operating cash generation , we believe that our focus on pricing and cost controls has improved our cash flow generation over an operating cycle . cash uses during 2018 were primarily focused on working capital requirements , capital spending , debt reductions and returning cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases under the company's share repurchase program . cash provided by operating activities cash provided by operations , including discontinued operations , totaled $ 3.2 billion in 2018 , compared with $ 1.8 billion for 2017 , and $ 2.5 billion for 2016 . cash used by working capital components ( accounts receivable , contract assets and inventory less accounts payable and accrued liabilities , interest payable and other ) totaled $ 439 million in 2018 , compared with cash used by working capital components of $ 402 million in 2017 , and cash provided by working capital components of $ 71 million in 2016 . investment activities including discontinued operations , investment activities in 2018 increased from 2017 , as 2018 included higher capital spending . in 2016 , investment activity included the purchase of weyerhaeuser's pulp business for $ 2.2 billion in cash , the purchase of the holmen business for $ 57 million in cash , net of cash acquired , and proceeds from the sale of the asia packaging business of $ 108 million , net of cash divested . the company maintains an average capital spending target around depreciation and amortization levels , or modestly above , due to strategic plans over the course of an economic cycle . capital spending was $ 1.6 billion in 2018 , or 118% ( 118 % ) of depreciation and amortization , compared with $ 1.4 billion in 2017 , or 98% ( 98 % ) of depreciation and amortization , and $ 1.3 billion , or 110% ( 110 % ) of depreciation and amortization in 2016 . across our segments , capital spending as a percentage of depreciation and amortization ranged from 69.8% ( 69.8 % ) to 132.1% ( 132.1 % ) in 2018 . the following table shows capital spending for operations by business segment for the years ended december 31 , 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , excluding amounts related to discontinued operations of $ 111 million in 2017 and $ 107 million in 2016. .
what was the percentage increase of capital expenditures for operations in the industrial packaging business segment in from 2017 to 2018?
capital expenditures in 2019 are currently expected to be about $ 1.4 billion , or 104% ( 104 % ) of depreciation and amortization , including approximately $ 400 million of strategic investments. .