WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The nation’s trade deficit jumped 7.6% in September to the highest level since the late spring as exports to Europe, China and Japan all fell, a sign that slower growth in the economies of key trading partners is starting to pinch the United States.

The surprising spike in the trade deficit is likely to reduce third-quarter growth when the government revises the report later this month. Several Wall Street firms said the preliminary 3.5% advance in gross domestic product will be trimmed to around 3%, taking a bit of luster off the economy’s performance from July though September.

In September, the trade gap climbed to a seasonally adjusted $43 billion from a slightly revised $40 billion in August, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast a deficit of $41.1 billion.

The big story was a 1.5% drop in exports to $195.6 billion, the sharpest decline since last February. The U.S. exported less oil, petroleum, steel, civilian aircraft and pharmaceutical drugs.

U.S. exports of goods fell 3.2% with China, 6.5% with the European Union and 14.7% with Japan. Europe is on the cusp of another recession, the Japanese economy has turn south and even China, the rising economic juggernaut, is experiencing slower growth.

Unless there’s a quick turnaround in Europe and Japan, U.S. exporters could face a tougher time selling their products for months to come. A stronger dollar DXY, +0.70% , which makes U.S. good more expensive overseas, is also working against American companies.

Imports, meanwhile, were unchanged at $238.6 billion. The U.S. economy is doing much better compared to most of its key trading partners, so Americans are able to spend more on foreign goods and services. Imports of consumer goods hit a record high.

Still, imports might have fallen if not for the introduction of the new Apple AAPL, -0.39% iPhones. U.S. imports of cell phones and related household goods surged by nearly 28% to $8.86 billion, resulting in a record level of advanced technology imports.

What’s kept the U.S. from posting even larger deficits is surging domestic oil production that’s reduced the needs for petroleum from OPEC and other nations. As a result, American imports of oil dropped in September to the lowest level in five years.

Yet if petroleum is excluded, the nation’s trade gap climbed to $47.2 billion in September to mark the highest level in seven years.