2.4%. Divestitures, primarily the sale of the global branded pharmaceuticals business (Health Care segment), decreased worldwide sales growth by 3.8%. The sale of the pharmaceuticals business is not presented as a discontinued operation due to the extent of the projected continuing cash flows from 3M’s contractual supply relationship with the buyers in relation to those of the business that was sold.

 

The breadth of 3M’s product lines was evident during 2007 as the Company experienced solid sales growth across the portfolio. Health Care led all segments with local-currency sales growth of 18.3% (excluding divestitures). This includes a 4.4% benefit from acquisitions and 4.5% benefit due to the pharmaceuticals supply agreements. The sale of 3M’s global branded pharmaceuticals business reduced Health Care sales growth by 23.7%. Local-currency sales increased 10.8% in Safety, Security and Protection Services, including 7.4% from numerous acquisitions. Local-currency sales increased 5.8% in Industrial and Transportation, 5.0% in Consumer and Office, 2.3% in Electro and Communications, and 1.8% (excluding the impact of the Opticom/Canoga divestiture) in Display and Graphics. While 3M experienced broad-based sales growth, there was softness in certain markets in 2007. Within Display and Graphics, optical film sales increased slightly year-on-year, but 3M experienced an attachment rate loss in LCD desktop monitors and LCD TV segments, particularly in the second half of 2007, as competition continued to intensify in this market. 3M also experienced weakness in its roofing granules business for residential asphalt shingles and in its electronic solutions business due to softness in certain segments of the consumer electronics market. Refer to the section entitled Performance by Business Segment for a more detailed discussion of the results of the respective segments.

 

Geographically, the European region (which includes Europe, Middle East and Africa) led local-currency sales growth in 2007, with an increase of 11.7%, 7.4% of which was organic (excluding acquisitions, divestiture and translation impacts). Sales growth in Europe was led by Safety, Security and Protection Services and Health Care (without Pharmaceuticals). The combined Latin America and Canada area local-currency sales increased 10.6%, of which 9.6% was organic, with growth led by Industrial and Transportation, Safety, Security and Protection Services and Health Care (without Pharmaceuticals). Asia Pacific local-currency sales increased 4.9%, of which 4.5% was organic, with all six business segments contributing to this increase. United States local-currency sales increased 5.7%, of which 2.6% was organic. Organic volume growth in the U.S. was led by Health Care (without Pharmaceuticals) and Industrial and Transportation, which was partially offset by softness in the electronic solutions business and weakness in a few businesses that are impacted by the slowdown in the U.S. housing, road construction and mass retail markets, primarily the roofing granules, protective materials, traffic safety and office supply businesses. Divestitures, primarily the sale of the global branded