The present invention provides a process for preparing an aromatic bromide or aromatic iodide from an aromatic amine derivative using nitrite anion and halodimethylsulfonium halide generated in situ from hydrobromic acid/DMSO or hydriodic acid/DMSO. The process for producing compounds of the formula (1) is disclosed (1) wherein X is bromine or iodine: Y is carbon or nitrogen; R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 which may be the same or different and are selected independently from the group consisting of a hydrogen, a hologen, a C1-C8 alkyl, a C1-C10 alkoxy, a nitro, a formyl, an aryl, a benzyl, a C2-C10 alkylcarbonyl and an arylcarbonyl, provided that adjacent groups as selected from R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 may combine to form a ring.