Interesting, didn't know about this 'race to thermal IR'. But what I do know is that op optical components suitable for thermal imaging systems are under export control in the EU. So at least as a corporate entity you cannot easily export them.
In US, as well. In fact, all kinds of things that have to do with both active IR, and protection against it, are regulated.
For example, there's a popular firearm (and other things, technically, but it's mostly used for firearms) coating called Cerakote. Comes in a bunch of colors, including those commonly used for camouflage - indeed, you can mix and match to create some very impressive patterns. Example:
This is available to civilians, and pretty popular - mostly for aesthetics, but it does work well as a camouflage. The catch is that, being an epoxy polymer coating, it reflects NIR really well - so for someone observing through a night vision device, these things basically glow, especially if an infrared illuminator is also used.
But Cerakote also does have a version that was specifically designed to reduce the near-infrared signature to the point where it works just as well as camo in NIR, as it does in visual spectrum. Except it's only available to military and police - and I believe this is, in fact, because of some law that restricts them from offering it on civilian market.
