PURPOSE: To obtain the titled compound useful as a herbicidally active compound easily in high yield and purity, by chlorinating N-2'-fluoro-5'-isopropoxyphenyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimide as a raw material.

CONSTITUTION: N-2'-Fluoro-5'-isopropoxyphenyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimide as a raw material is chlorinated with sulfuryl chloride or Cl2 in a solvent in the presence of a dehydrohalogenating agent, e.g. dicyclohexylamine, at 10W100°C for 1W10hr to afford N-2'-fluoro-5'-isopropoxyphenyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimide. The above-mentioned raw material is obtained by reacting 2-fluoro-5- aminoacetanilide with NaNO3, hydrolyzing the resultant compound, and reacting the hydrolysis product with 3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride, and finally with an isopropyl halide of the formula (X is Cl or Br, etc.).