10-k altria ar release tuesday , february 27 , 2018 10:00pm andra design llc the relative percentages of operating companies income ( loss ) attributable to each reportable segment and the all other category were as follows: .
what is the percent change in relative percentages of operating companies income ( loss ) attributable to smokeless products from 2015 to 2016?
for items affecting the comparability of the relative percentages of operating companies income ( loss ) attributable to each reportable segment , see note 15 . narrative description of business portions of the information called for by this item are included in operating results by business segment in item 7 . management 2019s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations of this annual report on form 10-k ( 201citem 7 201d ) . tobacco space altria group , inc . 2019s tobacco operating companies include pm usa , usstc and other subsidiaries of ust , middleton , nu mark and nat sherman . altria group distribution company provides sales and distribution services to altria group , inc . 2019s tobacco operating companies . the products of altria group , inc . 2019s tobacco subsidiaries include smokeable tobacco products , consisting of cigarettes manufactured and sold by pm usa and nat sherman , machine- made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by middleton and premium cigars sold by nat sherman ; smokeless tobacco products manufactured and sold by usstc ; and innovative tobacco products , including e-vapor products manufactured and sold by nu mark . cigarettes : pm usa is the largest cigarette company in the united states . marlboro , the principal cigarette brand of pm usa , has been the largest-selling cigarette brand in the united states for over 40 years . nat sherman sells substantially all of its super premium cigarettes in the united states . total smokeable products segment 2019s cigarettes shipment volume in the united states was 116.6 billion units in 2017 , a decrease of 5.1% ( 5.1 % ) from cigars : middleton is engaged in the manufacture and sale of machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco . middleton contracts with a third-party importer to supply a majority of its cigars and sells substantially all of its cigars to customers in the united states . black & mild is the principal cigar brand of middleton . nat sherman sources all of its cigars from third-party suppliers and sells substantially all of its cigars to customers in the united states . total smokeable products segment 2019s cigars shipment volume was approximately 1.5 billion units in 2017 , an increase of 9.9% ( 9.9 % ) from 2016 . smokeless tobacco products : usstc is the leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco ( 201cmst 201d ) products . the smokeless products segment includes the premium brands , copenhagen and skoal , and value brands , red seal and husky . substantially all of the smokeless tobacco products are manufactured and sold to customers in the united states . total smokeless products segment 2019s shipment volume was 841.3 million units in 2017 , a decrease of 1.4% ( 1.4 % ) from 2016 . innovative tobacco products : nu mark participates in the e-vapor category and has developed and commercialized other innovative tobacco products . in addition , nu mark sources the production of its e-vapor products through overseas contract manufacturing arrangements . in 2013 , nu mark introduced markten e-vapor products . in april 2014 , nu mark acquired the e-vapor business of green smoke , inc . and its affiliates ( 201cgreen smoke 201d ) , which began selling e-vapor products in 2009 . in 2017 , altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries purchased certain intellectual property related to innovative tobacco products . in december 2013 , altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries entered into a series of agreements with philip morris international inc . ( 201cpmi 201d ) pursuant to which altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries provide an exclusive license to pmi to sell nu mark 2019s e-vapor products outside the united states , and pmi 2019s subsidiaries provide an exclusive license to altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries to sell two of pmi 2019s heated tobacco product platforms in the united states . further , in july 2015 , altria group , inc . announced the expansion of its strategic framework with pmi to include a joint research , development and technology-sharing agreement . under this agreement , altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries and pmi will collaborate to develop e-vapor products for commercialization in the united states by altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries and in markets outside the united states by pmi . this agreement also provides for exclusive technology cross licenses , technical information sharing and cooperation on scientific assessment , regulatory engagement and approval related to e-vapor products . in the fourth quarter of 2016 , pmi submitted a modified risk tobacco product ( 201cmrtp 201d ) application for an electronically heated tobacco product with the united states food and drug administration 2019s ( 201cfda 201d ) center for tobacco products and filed its corresponding pre-market tobacco product application in the first quarter of 2017 . upon regulatory authorization by the fda , altria group , inc . 2019s subsidiaries will have an exclusive license to sell this heated tobacco product in the united states . distribution , competition and raw materials : altria group , inc . 2019s tobacco subsidiaries sell their tobacco products principally to wholesalers ( including distributors ) , large retail organizations , including chain stores , and the armed services . the market for tobacco products is highly competitive , characterized by brand recognition and loyalty , with product quality , taste , price , product innovation , marketing , packaging and distribution constituting the significant methods of competition . promotional activities include , in certain instances and where permitted by law , allowances , the distribution of incentive items , price promotions , product promotions , coupons and other discounts. .