Etherification　reaction　is　a　significant　way　to　produce　fuel　addictive,　which　is　important　to　the　national　economy　and　the　people＇s　livelihood.　Reactive　distillation　(RD)　plays　a　key　role　in　this　reaction.　This　study　reviewed　the　application　of　RD　in　etherification,　which　is　advantageous　not　only　to　the　development　of　RD　but　also　to　the　technology　upgrade　of　fuel　additive　production.　The　application　progress　of　RD　in　the　etherification　reaction　was　introduced　in　detail　from　fundamental　research　to　industrial　application　for　several　important　fuel　addictive,　including　methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether　(MTBE),　ethyl-tert-butyl-ether　(ETBE),　tert-amyl-methyl-ether　(TAME),　tert-amyl-ethyl-ether　(TAEE),　and　dimethyl-ether　(DME).　The　contents　contained　raw　choice,　process　development,　and　multiple　steady　states.　The　advantages　and　disadvantages　of　different　reaction　routes　and　technology　processes　were　analyzed.　The　fundamental　issues　and　concludes　were　concluded　for　the　multi-steady-state　of　RD.　The　opportunity　and　challenge　of　the　application　of　RD　for　the　synthesis　of　polymethoxy　dimethyl　and　translation　of　several　biomass　platform　chemicals,　such　as　glycerol,　hydroxymethylfurfural,　and　furfuralcohol,　into　fuel　addictive　via　etherification,　were　analyzed.　The　common　issues　of　technological　process　development　and　catalytic　packing　design　were　discussed　for　the　application　of　RD　in　etherification,　and　related　suggestions　were　provided.　©　2021,　Chemical　Industry　Press　Co.,　Ltd.　All　right　reserved.