Daniel L. Watson has over twenty-one years of experience in trade policy and negotiations. Until July 2026, he served as assistant U.S. trade representative for the Western Hemisphere, where he led negotiations and developed U.S. trade policy with Mexico, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In this capacity, he oversaw implementation of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), including preparations for its first Joint Review. He also served as chief negotiator for the Agreements on Reciprocal Trade in the Western Hemisphere and led trade discussions under the Americas Partnership.

Previously, Watson served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for North America and deputy chief negotiator for the USMCA, as well as a chapter lead for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He began his career at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), working on services trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization.

Watson was born in California and began his government career at the Department of Homeland Security, where he worked on asylum and refugee issues, as well as trade and employment-based immigration policy. He holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA from Indiana University Bloomington.