Method for producing aromatic difluoroacetic acid ester

A method for producing a compound represented by the following general formula (4):

• wherein in the general formula (4), R1 each independently represents an electroattracting group, R2 each independently represents a monovalent organic group, m is an integer from 1 to 3 and n is an integer from 0 to (5-m), the compound being obtained by reacting a compound represented by the following general formula (1):
• wherein in the general formula (1), R1 each independently represents an electroattracting group, R2 each independently represents a monovalent organic group, m is an integer from 1 to 3 and n is an integer from 0 to (5-m), and a compound represented by the following general formula (2):
• wherein in the general formula (2), R3 represents a monovalent organic group and R4 each independently represents at least one selected from the group consisting of a substituted or unsubstituted methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, isopropyl group and phenyl group, in the presence of a metal halide, to obtain a compound of general formula (3):
• wherein in the general formula (3), R1 each independently represents an electroattracting group, R2 each independently represents a monovalent organic group, R3 represents a monovalent organic group, m is an integer from 1 to 3 and n is an integer from 0 to (5-m), and hydrolyzing the compound of formula (3).