A process for producing a brominated acetal (represented by the formula 3) includes (a) brominating a trifluoromethyl-substituted acetophenone by Br2 in the presence of an alkylene diol. It is optional to produce a trifluoromethyl-substituted 2-alkoxyacetophenone derivative (represented by the formula 9) by (b) reacting the brominated acetal with a metal alkoxide, thereby converting the brominated acetal into an ether; and (c) hydrolyzing the ether in the presence of an acid catalyst to remove an acetal group from the ether, thereby producing the 2-alkoxyacetophenone derivative. Alternatively, the 2-alkoxyacetophenone can be produced by (a) reacting a trifluoromethyl-substituted phenacyl halide with an acetalization agent, thereby converting the phenacyl halide into an acetal; (b) reacting the acetal with a metal alkoxide, thereby converting the acetal into an ether; and (c) hydrolyzing the ether in the presence of an acid catalyst to remove the acetal group from the ether.