CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5 :: Merge To New Document - Result Is Not Text?

I need to make a bunch of barcode tags for a client. I know CorelDraw isn't the best tool for this, but it's what I have and this is a one-time job.

To partially automate the process, I'm trying to use print merge to make the parts of the tags that aren't barcode, but I include the text that belongs in the barcode on the page. The print merge works correctly, I get what I expect. The next step would be to cut the barcode text, choose Insert Barcode, and then paste the barcode text into the barcode dialog.

Except, when trying to paste the text intended for the barcode I discovered that I was actually copying the <var1> field--not the text. I verified this by copying the "text" from the print merge document and then pasting back into the same document--what I got from the paste was not the expected text, but <var1>.

Since the barcode type I was using does not support the "<" character, it gave me an "invalid character" error.

My attempted solution was to publish to a PDF file and then import into a new document. This worked except for some reason CorelDraw makes a new layer named, inexplicably, "Layer 1" (there's a "Layer 1" by default, why make a second layer with the same name?) BUT when the import is done the new layer is NOT chosen in Object Manager, the original "Layer 1" is. Which means, when I go to copy the text and insert the barcode it ends up UNDER the other parts of the barcode tag which are on the NEW "Layer 1".