Data merge preview looks fine but one field is incorrect when exported

I am creating price tags for Christmas trees, I have a template that's front and back and a data set that creates 1756 tags. I've done this many times before but this time I've encountered what seems to be a bug. When I export the file to pdf all of the item numbers are the same. The tag has several dynamic fields, including size, tree type, price, and a photograph, all of these dynamic fields export perfectly, but the item number does not. The data file is correct and when I view the preview in indesign, the item numbers populate correctly. I've seen some discussion about a bug like this and I have tried every fix I could find with no viable solution. If I select 'create merged document' instead of 'export to pdf' all of the fields populate correctly, including the item numbers. But this takes significantly longer than a pdf export. So far I have tried creating a copy of the template and exporting without ever turning on the preview, I've tried exporting by range rather than all records, I've adjusted the font substitution settings, I've removed file links, as well as creating the merged document.

Any other tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time.