Puzzling... copying and pasting HTML examples from Google Sheets creates quote marks...

So here’s a new one to me.

I have a Google Sheet that contains content copied from the web so that HTML formatting could be seen in code form. For example:

Here is a bunch of copy, <i>and this part is in italics.</i>

However, when I copy from Sheets and paste into InDesign, I get this, with quotes added, and the HTML removed:

“Here is a bunch of copy, and this part is in italics.”

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Now, if I add certain characters immediately before or after the <> in the code, such as 

Here is a bunch of copy, <i>and this part is in italics.</i>1

it pastes without adding quotes… but I tried also doing this with a ~, and it didn’t work.
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And by the way - this doesn’t seem limited to InDesign, as it even happens pasting into a text editor… I think it’s something being created within Sheets that’s doing it. Haven’t