PURPOSE: To obtain a corresponding halogen compd. and ester at a high selection rate by bringing an aliphat. ether having halogen atoms in a beta-position to oxygen atoms into contact with an acid halide in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst, thereby cleaving the ester.

CONSTITUTION: The corresponding halide having the unreacted β-halogen and the ester are obtd. at the high selection rate by bringing the aliphat. ether having ≥1 halogen atoms in the beta-position to O, more preferably 1.1'-oxybis(1-methyl-2-chloroethane), etc., into contact with the acid halide in the presence of the Lewis acid, thereby cleaving both. Further, an aliphat. visinalyglycol diester may be cloven if the reaction product is brought into reaction with the alkali or alkaline earth metal of carboxylic acid or sulfonic acid preferably without isolating the compd. If the starting substance described above is the compd. of formula R-O-R (R has hologram in the beta-position to O), the acid halide and the salt described above are preferably derived from the same as the acid halide in the respective stages.