Starting from trifluoroacetoacetate and cyanoacetamide, via cyclization, chlorination, hydrolysis, hydrogenolysis, 4-trifluoromethylnicotinic acid was obtained. The total product yield was 48.3%. Its structure as well as intermediate of each reaction was confirmed by MS, 1H NMR. Comparing to the reaction conditions of each step, optimal conditions were that :In the chlorination reaction, n(tetramethylammonium chloride): n(Triethylamine):n（2,6-dihydroxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)nicotionitrile）=1:2:1 ,the yield of target product is 80.8％; The best solvent of hydrolysis is a mixed solvent of Sulfuric acid and nitric acid (volume ratio 4:1),the yield is 92.7％;In the hydrogenolysis reaction,n (2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)nicotinic Acid):n(sodium acetate) =1:2, The weight of 10％ Pd∕C is six percent of 2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)nicotinic acid, the yield of target product is 90.4％.