PURPOSE: To mildly prepare the subject compound useful as an intermediate for the preparation of drugs and agricultural chemicals from inexpensive raw materials without any specific device in a high yield by carrying out the chlorination reaction of 4-fluorophenol with chlorine gas or sulfuryl chloride in the presence of water.

CONSTITUTION: 4-Fluorophenol as a raw material is chlorinated with chlorine gas or sulfuryl chloride as a chlorination agent in the presence of water to provide the objective compound. The water is suitably used in a volume capable of dissolving all of generated hydrogen chloride. The amount of the used chlorination agent is preferably 0.8-1.2mol in the case of the chlorine gas and 1.6-2.2mol in the case of the sulfuryl chloride. The reaction temperature is 0-80°C. The reaction may be also carried out in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst such as a quaternary ammonium salt.