BEWARE!!! Wire Gauges May Not Be What You Think!!!

In measuring AWG solid wire (major brands) I've found it to consistently have less cross-sectional area than the published specs. I've wondered if the the AWG specs allow for a tolerance and with modern manufacturing they can consistently hit the lower end of the allowed range? Of course if it's from China, all bets are off. On the other hand, the couple pieces of welding cable I've looked at have conformed dead-on with the tables.