Indeed, the law applied to all manufacturers, but no other manufacturer wanted to remain with microUSB Type-B 2.0 due to economies of scale, etc. The loophole that Apple used was available to everyone anyway, so it’s not like they couldn’t have followed suit.
The micro USB standard was also an EU thing, just voluntary, and not just for Apple.
Indeed, the law applied to all manufacturers, but no other manufacturer wanted to remain with microUSB Type-B 2.0 due to economies of scale, etc. The loophole that Apple used was available to everyone anyway, so it’s not like they couldn’t have followed suit.