China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) cannot meet customer demands for certain mature technologies and its plants have been running "fully loaded" for several quarters, it said on Friday.

Zhao Haijun, co-CEO of China's largest chipmaker, made the comments during a conference call after its latest quarterly results. He also said external sanctions would continue to affect the company's revenue growth.

SMIC is a key player in China's efforts to build up its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, but sanctions by the former Trump administration have curbed U.S. companies from supplying it.

The company is also an important player in the global semiconductor supply chain, which is under heavy pressure as pandemic lockdowns drive up demand for electronics such as laptops and phones.

Global automakers, in particular, have been caught off guard by the chip shortage, and firms from General Motors to Stellantis have announced that they have slowed down production and furloughed thousands of workers.