The transesterification of dimethylphthalate by 1,4-butanediol was kinetically investigated In the presence of various metal acetate catalysts at 180$^{circ}C$. The quantity of dimethylphthalate reacted in the reaction flask was measured by gas chromatography. The transesterification was assumed to obey first-order kinetics with respect to dimethylphthalate and 1,4-butanediol, and a rate equation was derived. The linear relationship was shown between apparent rate constant and reciprocal absolute temperature, the activation energy has been calculated as 7.4kcal with lead acetate. The maximum reaction rate was appeared at the range of 1.5${sim}$1.6 of electronegativity of metal ions.