diff --git a/components/ILIAS/SurveyQuestionPool/Export/class.SurveyImportParser.php b/components/ILIAS/SurveyQuestionPool/Export/class.SurveyImportParser.php
index 343cfc503101..81bee25ec50b 100755
--- a/components/ILIAS/SurveyQuestionPool/Export/class.SurveyImportParser.php
+++ b/components/ILIAS/SurveyQuestionPool/Export/class.SurveyImportParser.php
@@ -789,7 +789,9 @@ protected function trimAndStripAttribs(array $attribs): array
     {
         $ret = [];
         foreach ($attribs as $k => $v) {
-            $ret[$k] = $this->trimAndStrip((string) $v);
+            $ret[$k] = ((string) $v !== "<>")
+                ? $this->trimAndStrip((string) $v)
+                : "<>";
         }
         return $ret;
     }