Trichlorofluoromethane can be obtained by reacting carbon tetrachloride with hydrogen fluoride at 435 °C and 70 atm, producing a mixture of trichlorofluoromethane, tetrafluoromethane and dichlorodifluoromethane in a ratio of 77:18:5. The reaction can also be carried out in the presence of antimony(III) chloride or antimony(V) chloride:
Trichlorofluoromethane is also formed as one of the byproducts when graphite reacts with chlorine and hydrogen fluoride at 500 °C.
Sodium hexafluorosilicate under pressure at 270 °C, titanium(IV) fluoride, chlorine trifluoride, cobalt(III) fluoride, iodine pentafluoride, and bromine trifluoride are also suitable fluorinating agents for carbon tetrachloride.
Trichlorofluoromethane was included in the production moratorium in the Montreal Protocol of 1987.  It is assigned an ozone depletion potential of 1.0, and U.S. production was ended on January 1, 1996.